Activation of the urotensin-II receptor by remdesivir induces cardiomyocyte dysfunction

Remdesivir is an antiviral drug used for COVID-19 treatment worldwide. Cardiovascular side effects have been associated with remdesivir; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here, we performed a large-scale G-protein-coupled receptor screening in combination with structural modeling and found that remdesivir is a selective, partial agonist for urotensin-II receptor (UTS2R) through the G alpha(i/o)-dependent AKT/ERK axis. Functionally, remdesivir treatment induced prolonged field potential and APD(90) in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived cardiomyocytes and impaired contractility in both neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes, all of which mirror the clinical pathology. Importantly, remdesivir-mediated cardiac malfunctions were effectively attenuated by antagonizing UTS2R signaling. Finally, we characterized the effect of 110 single-nucleotide variants in UTS2R gene reported in genome database and found four missense variants that show gain-of-function effects in the receptor sensitivity to remdesivir. Collectively, our study illuminates a previously unknown mechanism underlying remdesivir-related cardiovascular events and that genetic variations of UTS2R gene can be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular events during remdesivir treatment, which collectively paves the way for a therapeutic opportunity to prevent such events in the future. The SARS-CoV-2 drug remdesivir is a partial agonist for urotensin 2 receptor, leading to aberrant cardiomyocyte activity in vitro.

Automated summary

The antiviral drug remdesivir used for COVID-19 treatment has been found to have cardiovascular side effects, but the underlying mechanism was unclear. Through screening and modeling, researchers discovered that remdesivir acts as a selective, partial agonist for the UTS2R receptor, leading to cardiac malfunctions. Antagonizing UTS2R signaling was found to effectively attenuate the cardiac effects of remdesivir.