Serotonin receptor 2A blocker (risperidone) has no effect on human polyomavirus JC infection of primary human fetal glial cells.

A recent report demonstrated that JC virus (JCV) employs serotonin receptor 2A (5HT(2A)R) to infect the glial cells. To assess the ability of a potent 5HT(2A)R blocker, risperidone, to inhibit JCV infection, the authors treated primary human fetal glial (PHFG) cells in vitro with risperidone for 24 h and inoculated with JCV(Mad1). There was no significant difference in JCV genome copies or mRNA transcripts and protein expression in treatment-naive and risperidone-treated PHFG cells. These data indicate that risperidone does not inhibit JCV(Mad1) attachment, internalisation, and replication in PHFG cells, and 5HT(2A)R blockers may not be effective in treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).