Developmental toxicity of remdesivir, an anti‐COVID‐19 drug, is implicated by in vitro assays using morphogenetic embryoid bodies of mouse and human pluripotent stem cells

Abstract

Background Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of COVID‐19, whose developmental toxicity remains unclear. More information about the safety of remdesivir is urgently needed for people of childbearing potential, who are affected by the ongoing pandemic. Morphogenetic embryoid bodies (MEBs) are three‐dimensional (3D) aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate embryonic body patterning in vitro, and have been used as effective embryo models to detect the developmental toxicity of chemical exposures specifically and sensitively. Methods MEBs were generated from mouse P19C5 and human H9 pluripotent stem cells, and used to examine the effects of remdesivir. The morphological effects were assessed by analyzing the morphometric parameters of MEBs after exposure to varying concentrations of remdesivir. The molecular impact of remdesivir was evaluated by measuring the transcript levels of developmental regulator genes. Results The mouse MEB morphogenesis was impaired by remdesivir at 1–8 μM. Remdesivir affected MEBs in a manner dependent on metabolic conversion, and its potency was higher than GS‐441524 and GS‐621763, presumptive anti‐COVID‐19 drugs that act similarly to remdesivir. The expressions of developmental regulator genes, particularly those involved in axial and somite patterning, were dysregulated by remdesivir. The early stage of MEB development was more vulnerable to remdesivir exposure than the later stage. The morphogenesis and gene expression profiles of human MEBs were also impaired by remdesivir at 1–8 μM. Conclusions Remdesivir impaired mouse and human MEBs at concentrations that are comparable to the therapeutic plasma levels in humans, urging further investigation into the potential impact of remdesivir on developing embryos.

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