Isoliquiritigenin Elicits Potent Antiviral Activity Against Pseudorabies Virus Through Modulating the cGAS/STING and JAK/STAT Signaling Cascades

Abstract

Simple Summary Pseudorabies virus infects pigs and can also spread to other animals and humans. Current vaccines are only for pigs and cannot control new viral variants, so new treatments are urgently needed. A natural compound from licorice, isoliquiritigenin, was demonstrated to block viral replication, even when challenged with high multiplicities of infection. Rather than attacking the virus directly, this compound boosts the body’s natural immune defenses. In the infected mice, it resulted in a 40-percentage-point reduction in mortality (from 70% to 30%) and significantly lowered viral loads in multiple organs. This study suggests that isoliquiritigenin could become a natural therapy to protect the pork industry against pseudorabies virus infection.