Inhibition of Chikungunya Virus Replication in Primary Human Fibroblasts by Liver X Receptor Agonist.

The mosquito-borne chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes acute pain and joint inflammation, and in recent years the virus has caused large epidemics in previously CHIKV-free geographic areas. To advance the understanding of host factors that antagonize CHIKV, we show that synthetic agonist of liver X receptor (LXR-623) inhibits CHIKV replication by upregulating the cholesterol exporter ABCA1 and that endogenous and pharmacological activation of interferon signaling pathway partners with LXR-623 to generate a superior antiviral state.