FURIN and anthrax infection: MI-1148 and its derivatives have been shown to inhibit the replication of various furin-dependent viruses in cell culture, including highly pathogenic avian influenza strains H5N1 and H7N1 [28,35,162], anthrax and diphtheria toxin [161], chikungunya virus [162], canine distemper virus [161], Dengue or West Nile virus [163,164], mumps virus [165], and respiratory syncytial virus [166].