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Rodriguez-Espada A, Salgado-de la Mora M, Rodriguez-Paniagua BM, Limon-de la Rosa N, Martinez-Gutierrez MI, Pastrana-Brandes S, Navarro-Alvarez N. Histopathological impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver: Cellular damage and long-term complications. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:2866-2880. [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i22.2866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), primarily impacts the respiratory tract and can lead to severe outcomes such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and death. Despite extensive studies on the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2, its impact on the hepatobiliary system remains unclear. While liver injury is commonly indicated by reduced albumin and elevated bilirubin and transaminase levels, the exact source of this damage is not fully understood. Proposed mechanisms for injury include direct cytotoxicity, collateral damage from inflammation, drug-induced liver injury, and ischemia/hypoxia. However, evidence often relies on blood tests with liver enzyme abnormalities. In this comprehensive review, we focused solely on the different histopathological manifestations of liver injury in COVID-19 patients, drawing from liver biopsies, complete autopsies, and in vitro liver analyses. We present evidence of the direct impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver, substantiated by in vitro observations of viral entry mechanisms and the actual presence of viral particles in liver samples resulting in a variety of cellular changes, including mitochondrial swelling, endoplasmic reticulum dilatation, and hepatocyte apoptosis. Additionally, we describe the diverse liver pathology observed during COVID-19 infection, encompassing necrosis, steatosis, cholestasis, and lobular inflammation. We also discuss the emergence of long-term complications, notably COVID-19-related secondary sclerosing cholangitis. Recognizing the histopathological liver changes occurring during COVID-19 infection is pivotal for improving patient recovery and guiding decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Rodriguez-Espada
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Panamericana School of Medicine, Campus México, Mexico 03920, Mexico
| | - Moises Salgado-de la Mora
- Department of Internal Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico 14080, Mexico
| | | | - Nathaly Limon-de la Rosa
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80045, United States
| | | | - Santiago Pastrana-Brandes
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Panamericana School of Medicine, Campus México, Mexico 03920, Mexico
| | - Nalu Navarro-Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Panamericana School of Medicine, Campus México, Mexico 03920, Mexico
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80045, United States
- Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico 14080, Mexico
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Han Y, Ma Y, Wang Z, Feng F, Zhou L, Feng H, Ma J, Ye R, Zhang R. TMPRSS13 promotes the cell entry of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29712. [PMID: 38808555 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) has caused severe intestinal diseases in pigs. It originates from bat coronaviruses HKU2 and has a potential risk of cross-species transmission, raising concerns about its zoonotic potential. Viral entry-related host factors are critical determinants of susceptibility to cells, tissues, or species, and remain to be elucidated for SADS-CoV. Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) family is involved in many coronavirus infections and has trypsin-like catalytic activity. Here we examine all 18 members of the TTSPs family through CRISPR-based activation of endogenous protein expression in cells, and find that, in addition to TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4, TMPRSS13 significantly facilitates SADS-CoV infection. This is confirmed by ectopic expression of TMPRSS13, and specific to trypsin-dependent SADS-CoV. Infection with pseudovirus bearing SADS-CoV spike protein indicates that TMPRSS13 acts at the entry step and is sensitive to serine protease inhibitor Camostat. Moreover, both human and pig TMPRSS13 are able to enhance the cell-cell membrane fusion and cleavage of spike protein. Overall, we demonstrate that TMPRSS13 is another host serine protease promoting the membrane-fusion entry of SADS-CoV, which may expand its host tropism by using diverse TTSPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Han
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanlong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziqiao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Feng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Zhou
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Feng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingyun Ma
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Song J, Liu Y, Guo Y, Yuan M, Zhong W, Tang J, Guo Y, Guo L. Therapeutic effects of tetrandrine in inflammatory diseases: a comprehensive review. Inflammopharmacology 2024; 32:1743-1757. [PMID: 38568399 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-024-01452-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Inflammation can be triggered by any factor. The primary pathological manifestations can be summarized as the deterioration, exudation, and proliferation of local tissues, which can cause systemic damage in severe cases. Inflammatory lesions are primarily localized but may interact with body systems to cause provocative storms, parenchymal organ lesions, vascular and central nervous system necrosis, and other pathologic responses. Tetrandrine (TET) is a bisbenzylquinoline alkaloid extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Stephania tetrandra, which has been shown to have significant efficacy in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, nephritis, etc., through NF-κB, MAPK, ERK, and STAT3 signaling pathways. TET can regulate the body's imbalanced metabolic pathways, reverse the inflammatory process, reduce other pathological damage caused by inflammation, and prevent the vicious cycle. More importantly, TET does not disrupt body's normal immune function while clearing the body's inflammatory state. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to its dosage and duration during treatment to avoid unexpected side effects caused by a long half-life. In summary, TET has a promising future in treating inflammatory diseases. The author reviews current therapeutic studies of TET in inflammatory conditions to provide some ideas for subsequent anti-inflammatory studies of TET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Song
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yushi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yurou Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Minghao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Wenxiao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jiamei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yiping Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
| | - Li Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
- School of Pharmacy/School of Modern Chinese Medicine Industry, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Chao AS, Lin CY, Chiang MH, Lu KY, Tsai CK, Chen KJ, Chien CW, Wu TS, Chang YL, Chao A, Lin G, Chiu CY. Metabolomic profiling of maternal plasma identifies inverse associations of acetate and urea with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers following COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:819-830. [PMID: 38568327 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
We conducted a comprehensive metabolomic analysis of plasma samples obtained from pregnant women who displayed varying post-vaccination antibody titers after receiving mRNA-1273-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The study involved 62 pregnant women, all of whom had been vaccinated after reaching 24 weeks of gestation. To quantify post-vaccination plasma antibody titers, we employed binding antibody units (BAU) in accordance with the World Health Organization International Standard. Subsequently, we classified the study participants into three distinct BAU/mL categories: those with high titers (above 2000), medium titers (ranging from 1000 to 2000), and low titers (below 1000). Plasma metabolomic profiling was conducted using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the obtained data were correlated with the categorized antibody titers. Notably, in pregnant women exhibiting elevated anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers, reduced plasma concentrations of acetate and urea were observed. A significant negative correlation between these compounds and antibody titers was also evident. An analysis of metabolomics pathways revealed significant inverse associations between antibody titers and four distinct amino acid metabolic pathways: (1) biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan; (2) biosynthesis of valine, leucine, and isoleucine; (3) phenylalanine metabolism; and (4) degradation of valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Additionally, an association between the synthesis and degradation pathways of ketone bodies was evident. In conclusion, we identified different metabolic pathways that underlie the diverse humoral responses triggered by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines during pregnancy. Our data hold significant implications for refining COVID-19 vaccination approaches in expectant mothers. KEY MESSAGES : Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers decline as the number of days since COVID-19 vaccination increases. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers are inversely associated with acetate, a microbial-derived metabolite, and urea. Amino acid metabolism is significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Shine Chao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New Taipei Municipal Tu Cheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Chiao-Yun Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Gynecologic Cancer Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Han Chiang
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Lab, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ying Lu
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Lab, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Kun Tsai
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Lab, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ju Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New Taipei Municipal Tu Cheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Chien
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New Taipei Municipal Tu Cheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Shu Wu
- Department of Infectious Control, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Lung Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Angel Chao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Gynecologic Cancer Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Gigin Lin
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Lab, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention and Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yung Chiu
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Lab, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang , Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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5
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Hattab D, Amer MFA, Al-Alami ZM, Bakhtiar A. SARS-CoV-2 journey: from alpha variant to omicron and its sub-variants. Infection 2024; 52:767-786. [PMID: 38554253 PMCID: PMC11143066 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-024-02223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected hundreds of millions of individuals and caused more than six million deaths. The prolonged pandemic duration and the continual inter-individual transmissibility have contributed to the emergence of a wide variety of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Genomic surveillance and phylogenetic studies have shown that substantial mutations in crucial supersites of spike glycoprotein modulate the binding affinity of the evolved SARS-COV-2 lineages to ACE2 receptors and modify the binding of spike protein with neutralizing antibodies. The immunological spike mutations have been associated with differential transmissibility, infectivity, and therapeutic efficacy of the vaccines and the immunological therapies among the new variants. This review highlights the diverse genetic mutations assimilated in various SARS-CoV-2 variants. The implications of the acquired mutations related to viral transmission, infectivity, and COVID-19 severity are discussed. This review also addresses the effectiveness of human neutralizing antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection or immunization and the therapeutic antibodies against the ascended variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima Hattab
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Queen Rania Street, Amman, Jordan
| | - Mumen F A Amer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Zina M Al-Alami
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Athirah Bakhtiar
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Manu AA, Owusu IA, Oyawoye FO, Languon S, Barikisu IA, Tawiah-Eshun S, Quaye O, Donkor KJ, Paemka L, Amegatcher GA, Denyoh PM, Oduro-Mensah D, Awandare GA, Quashie PK. Development and utility of a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus assay for compound screening and antibody neutralization assays. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31392. [PMID: 38826759 PMCID: PMC11141373 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The highly infectious nature of SARS-CoV-2 necessitates using bio-containment facilities to study viral pathogenesis and identify potent antivirals. However, the lack of high-level bio-containment laboratories across the world has limited research efforts into SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and the discovery of drug candidates. Previous research has reported that non-replicating SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped viral particles are effective tools to screen for and identify entry inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies. Methods To generate SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, a lentiviral packaging plasmid p8.91, a luciferase expression plasmid pCSFLW, and SARS-CoV-2 Spike expression plasmids (Wild-type (D614G) or Delta strain) were co-transfected into HEK293 cells to produce a luciferase-expressing non-replicating pseudovirus which expresses SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on the surface. For relative quantitation, HEK293 cells expressing ACE2 (ACE2-HEK293) were infected with the pseudovirus, after which luciferase activity in the cells was measured as a relative luminescence unit. The ACE2-HEK293/Pseudovirus infection system was used to assess the antiviral effects of some compounds and plasma from COVID-19 patients to demonstrate the utility of this assay for drug discovery and neutralizing antibody screening. Results We successfully produced lentiviral-based SARS-CoV2 pseudoviruses and ACE2-expressing HEK293 cells. The system was used to screen compounds for SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors and identified two compounds with potent activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry into cells. The assay was also employed to screen patient plasma for neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, as a precursor to live virus screening, using successful hits. Significance This assay is scalable and can perform medium-to high-throughput screening of antiviral compounds with neither severe biohazard risks nor the need for higher-level containment facilities. Now fully deployed in our resource-limited laboratory, this system can be applied to other highly infectious viruses by swapping out the envelope proteins in the plasmids used in pseudovirus production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A. Manu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Irene A. Owusu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Fatima O. Oyawoye
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Sylvester Languon
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Ibrahim Anna Barikisu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Sylvia Tawiah-Eshun
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Osbourne Quaye
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwaku Jacob Donkor
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Lily Paemka
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Gloria A. Amegatcher
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, Korle bu, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Prince M.D. Denyoh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Daniel Oduro-Mensah
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Gordon A. Awandare
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Peter K. Quashie
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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Kim K, Vieira MC, Gouma S, Weirick ME, Hensley SE, Cobey S. Measures of population immunity can predict the dominant clade of influenza A (H3N2) in the 2017-2018 season and reveal age-associated differences in susceptibility and antibody-binding specificity. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.10.26.23297569. [PMID: 37961288 PMCID: PMC10635207 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.23297569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
For antigenically variable pathogens such as influenza, strain fitness is partly determined by the relative availability of hosts susceptible to infection with that strain compared to others. Antibodies to the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) confer substantial protection against influenza infection. We asked if a cross-sectional antibody-derived estimate of population susceptibility to different clades of influenza A (H3N2) could predict the success of clades in the following season. We collected sera from 483 healthy individuals aged 1 to 90 years in the summer of 2017 and analyzed neutralizing responses to the HA and NA of representative strains. The clade to which neutralizing antibody titers were lowest, indicating greater population susceptibility, dominated the next season. Titers to different HA and NA clades varied dramatically between individuals but showed significant associations with age, suggesting dependence on correlated past exposures. This study indicates how representative measures of population immunity might improve evolutionary forecasts and inform selective pressures on influenza.
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Zhang X, Qin Y, Han X, Li Q, Wang Z, Wang X, Zhao L, Zhang H, Cai K, Chu Y, Gao C, Fan E. Signal peptide replacement of Ag43 enables an efficient bacterial cell surface display of receptor-binding domain of coronavirus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 721:150146. [PMID: 38781660 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
To enable an efficient bacterial cell surface display with effective protein expression and cell surface loading ability via autotransporter for potential vaccine development applications, the inner membrane protein translocation efficiency was investigated via a trial-and-error strategy by replacing the original unusual long signal peptide of E. coli Ag43 with 11 different signal peptides. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of coronavirus was used as a neutral display substrate to optimize the expression conditions, and the results showed that signal peptides from PelB, OmpC, OmpF, and PhoA protein enhance the bacterial cell surface display efficiency of RBD. In addition, the temperature has also a significant effect on the autodisplay efficiency of RBD. Our data provide further technical basis for the biotechnological application of Ag43 as a bacterial surface display carrier system and further potential application in vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Youcai Qin
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochen Han
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Qingrong Li
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Xingyuan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Leyi Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Cai
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Yindi Chu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Cuijuan Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, 276005, Linyi, China.
| | - Enguo Fan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China; College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, 276005, Linyi, China.
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9
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Breidenbach J, Voget R, Si Y, Hingst A, Claff T, Sylvester K, Wolf V, Krasniqi V, Useini A, Sträter N, Ogura Y, Kawaguchi A, Müller CE, Gütschow M. Macrocyclic Azapeptide Nitriles: Structure-Based Discovery of Potent SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors as Antiviral Drugs. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38753594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Given the crucial role of the main protease (Mpro) in the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2, this viral cysteine protease constitutes a high-profile drug target. We investigated peptidomimetic azapeptide nitriles as auspicious, irreversibly acting inhibitors of Mpro. Our systematic approach combined an Mpro active-site scanning by combinatorially assembled azanitriles with structure-based design. Encouraged by the bioactive conformation of open-chain inhibitors, we conceptualized the novel chemotype of macrocyclic azanitriles whose binding mode was elucidated by cocrystallization. This strategy provided a favorable entropic contribution to target binding and resulted in the development of the extraordinarily potent Mpro inhibitor 84 with an IC50 value of 3.23 nM and a second-order rate constant of inactivation, kinac/Ki, of 448,000 M-1s-1. The open-chain Mpro inhibitor 58, along with the macrocyclic compounds 83 and 84, a broad-spectrum anticoronaviral agent, demonstrated the highest antiviral activity with EC50 values in the single-digit micromolar range. Our findings are expected to promote the future development of peptidomimetic Mpro inhibitors as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Breidenbach
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rabea Voget
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Yaoyao Si
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Hingst
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Claff
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Sylvester
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Valentina Wolf
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Vesa Krasniqi
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Abibe Useini
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yukino Ogura
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, 305-8575 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kawaguchi
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, 305-8575 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Christa E Müller
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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10
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Faraji N, Zeinali T, Joukar F, Aleali MS, Eslami N, Shenagari M, Mansour-Ghanaei F. Mutational dynamics of SARS-CoV-2: Impact on future COVID-19 vaccine strategies. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30208. [PMID: 38707429 PMCID: PMC11066641 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of multiple strains of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has sparked profound concerns regarding the ongoing evolution of the virus and its potential impact on global health. Classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as variants of concern (VOC), these strains exhibit heightened transmissibility and pathogenicity, posing significant challenges to existing vaccine strategies. Despite widespread vaccination efforts, the continual evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants presents a formidable obstacle to achieving herd immunity. Of particular concern is the coronavirus spike (S) protein, a pivotal viral surface protein crucial for host cell entry and infectivity. Mutations within the S protein have been shown to enhance transmissibility and confer resistance to antibody-mediated neutralization, undermining the efficacy of traditional vaccine platforms. Moreover, the S protein undergoes rapid molecular evolution under selective immune pressure, leading to the emergence of diverse variants with distinct mutation profiles. This review underscores the urgent need for vigilance and adaptation in vaccine development efforts to combat the evolving landscape of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and ensure the long-term effectiveness of global immunization campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloofar Faraji
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Tahereh Zeinali
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Farahnaz Joukar
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Maryam Sadat Aleali
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Narges Eslami
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shenagari
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Fariborz Mansour-Ghanaei
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
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11
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Han T, Song L, Niu X, Qiu M, Wang Y, Wang J, Sun X, Ma J, Hu S, Feng Z. Synergistic peptide combinations designed to suppress SARS-CoV-2. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30489. [PMID: 38726116 PMCID: PMC11079089 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, poses a significant threat to global healthcare. Peptide and peptide-based inhibitors, known for their safety, efficacy, and selectivity, have recently emerged as promising candidates for treating late-developing viral infections. In this study, three peptides were selected to target different stages of viral invasion, specifically ACE2 and S protein binding, as well as membrane fusion. The objective was to assess their ability to impede the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike pseudotyped virus. Our findings revealed that a combination of these three peptides demonstrated enhanced antiviral effects. This outcome substantiates the feasibility of developing effective peptide combinations to combat diseases related to SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the three-peptide combinations, designed to target multiple aspects of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry, exhibited heightened viral inhibition and broad-spectrum antiviral properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Han
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Linhong Song
- Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Xinxin Niu
- Department of Organ Transplantation, the Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Meng Qiu
- Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Institute of Pediatrics, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Xiuyan Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Jiali Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Siqi Hu
- Institute of Pediatrics, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
| | - Zhichun Feng
- Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, China
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12
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Casado-Fernández G, Cantón J, Nasarre L, Ramos-Martín F, Manzanares M, Sánchez-Menéndez C, Fuertes D, Mateos E, Murciano-Antón MA, Pérez-Olmeda M, Cervero M, Torres M, Rodríguez-Rosado R, Coiras M. Pre-existing cell populations with cytotoxic activity against SARS-CoV-2 in people with HIV and normal CD4/CD8 ratio previously unexposed to the virus. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1362621. [PMID: 38812512 PMCID: PMC11133563 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1362621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction HIV-1 infection may produce a detrimental effect on the immune response. Early start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended to preserve the integrity of the immune system. In fact, people with HIV (PWH) and normal CD4/CD8 ratio appear not to be more susceptible to severe forms of COVID-19 than the general population and they usually present a good seroconversion rate in response to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. However, few studies have fully characterized the development of cytotoxic immune populations in response to COVID-19 vaccination in these individuals. Methods In this study, we recruited PWH with median time of HIV-1 infection of 6 years, median CD4/CD8 ratio of 1.0, good adherence to ART, persistently undetectable viral load, and negative serology against SARS-CoV-2, who then received the complete vaccination schedule against COVID-19. Blood samples were taken before vaccination against COVID-19 and one month after receiving the complete vaccination schedule. Results PWH produced high levels of IgG against SARS-CoV-2 in response to vaccination that were comparable to healthy donors, with a significantly higher neutralization capacity. Interestingly, the cytotoxic activity of PBMCs from PWH against SARS-CoV-2-infected cells was higher than healthy donors before receiving the vaccination schedule, pointing out the pre-existence of activated cell populations with likely unspecific antiviral activity. The characterization of these cytotoxic cell populations revealed high levels of Tgd cells with degranulation capacity against SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. In response to vaccination, the degranulation capacity of CD8+ T cells also increased in PWH but not in healthy donors. Discussion The full vaccination schedule against COVID-19 did not modify the ability to respond against HIV-1-infected cells in PWH and these individuals did not show more susceptibility to breakthrough infection with SARS-CoV-2 than healthy donors after 12 months of follow-up. These results revealed the development of protective cell populations with broad-spectrum antiviral activity in PWH with normal CD4/CD8 ratio and confirmed the importance of early ART and treatment adherence to avoid immune dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiomar Casado-Fernández
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Juan Cantón
- PhD Program in Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Nasarre
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Ramos-Martín
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Manzanares
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Sánchez-Menéndez
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
- Hematology and Hemotherapy Service, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Fuertes
- School of Telecommunications Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Mateos
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases [Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC)], Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Aranzazu Murciano-Antón
- Family Medicine, Centro de Salud Doctor Pedro Laín Entralgo, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
- International PhD School, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mayte Pérez-Olmeda
- Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases [Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC)], Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Serology Service, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Cervero
- Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Madrid, Spain
- School of Medicine, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid, Spain
| | - Montserrat Torres
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases [Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC)], Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Rodríguez-Rosado
- Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Madrid, Spain
- School of Medicine, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mayte Coiras
- Immunopathology and Viral Reservoir Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases [Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC)], Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Brunet J, Choucha Z, Gransagne M, Tabbal H, Ku MW, Buchrieser J, Fernandes P, Batalie D, Lopez J, Ma L, Dufour E, Simon E, Hardy D, Petres S, Guinet F, Strick-Marchand H, Monot M, Charneau P, Majlessi L, Duprex WP, Gerke C, Martin A, Escriou N. A measles-vectored vaccine candidate expressing prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein brought to phase I/II clinical trials: candidate selection in a preclinical murine model. J Virol 2024; 98:e0169323. [PMID: 38563763 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01693-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In the early COVID-19 pandemic with urgent need for countermeasures, we aimed at developing a replicating viral vaccine using the highly efficacious measles vaccine as vector, a promising technology with prior clinical proof of concept. Building on our successful pre-clinical development of a measles virus (MV)-based vaccine candidate against the related SARS-CoV, we evaluated several recombinant MV expressing codon-optimized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Candidate V591 expressing a prefusion-stabilized spike through introduction of two proline residues in HR1 hinge loop, together with deleted S1/S2 furin cleavage site and additional inactivation of the endoplasmic reticulum retrieval signal, was the most potent in eliciting neutralizing antibodies in mice. After single immunization, V591 induced similar neutralization titers as observed in sera of convalescent patients. The cellular immune response was confirmed to be Th1 skewed. V591 conferred long-lasting protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in a murine model with marked decrease in viral RNA load, absence of detectable infectious virus loads, and reduced lesions in the lungs. V591 was furthermore efficacious in an established non-human primate model of disease (see companion article [S. Nambulli, N. Escriou, L. J. Rennick, M. J. Demers, N. L. Tilston-Lunel et al., J Virol 98:e01762-23, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01762-23]). Thus, V591 was taken forward into phase I/II clinical trials in August 2020. Unexpected low immunogenicity in humans (O. Launay, C. Artaud, M. Lachâtre, M. Ait-Ahmed, J. Klein et al., eBioMedicine 75:103810, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103810) revealed that the underlying mechanisms for resistance or sensitivity to pre-existing anti-measles immunity are not yet understood. Different hypotheses are discussed here, which will be important to investigate for further development of the measles-vectored vaccine platform.IMPORTANCESARS-CoV-2 emerged at the end of 2019 and rapidly spread worldwide causing the COVID-19 pandemic that urgently called for vaccines. We developed a vaccine candidate using the highly efficacious measles vaccine as vector, a technology which has proved highly promising in clinical trials for other pathogens. We report here and in the companion article by Nambulli et al. (J Virol 98:e01762-23, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01762-23) the design, selection, and preclinical efficacy of the V591 vaccine candidate that was moved into clinical development in August 2020, 7 months after the identification of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan. These unique in-human trials of a measles vector-based COVID-19 vaccine revealed insufficient immunogenicity, which may be the consequence of previous exposure to the pediatric measles vaccine. The three studies together in mice, primates, and humans provide a unique insight into the measles-vectored vaccine platform, raising potential limitations of surrogate preclinical models and calling for further refinement of the platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Brunet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Département de Santé Globale, Paris, France
| | - Zaineb Choucha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Département de Santé Globale, Paris, France
| | - Marion Gransagne
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Département de Santé Globale, Paris, France
| | - Houda Tabbal
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Paris, France
| | - Min-Wen Ku
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Pasteur-TheraVectys Joint Lab, Paris, France
| | - Julian Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Virus and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Priyanka Fernandes
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Innate Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Damien Batalie
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Paris, France
| | - Jodie Lopez
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Pasteur-TheraVectys Joint Lab, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Ma
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biomics, C2RT, Paris, France
| | - Evelyne Dufour
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3528, Production and Purification of Recombinant Proteins Technological Platform, Paris, France
| | - Emeline Simon
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Paris, France
| | - David Hardy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Histopathology Platform, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Petres
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3528, Production and Purification of Recombinant Proteins Technological Platform, Paris, France
| | - Françoise Guinet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Lymphocytes and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Helene Strick-Marchand
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Innate Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Marc Monot
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biomics, C2RT, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Charneau
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Pasteur-TheraVectys Joint Lab, Paris, France
| | - Laleh Majlessi
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Pasteur-TheraVectys Joint Lab, Paris, France
| | - W Paul Duprex
- Center for Vaccine Research, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christiane Gerke
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Innovation Office, Vaccine Programs, Paris, France
| | - Annette Martin
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Escriou
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Département de Santé Globale, Paris, France
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Cornejo A, Franco C, Rodriguez-Nuñez M, García A, Belisario I, Mayora S, Garzaro DJ, Zambrano JL, Jaspe RC, Hidalgo M, Parra-Giménez N, Claro FE, Liprandi F, de Waard JH, Rangel HR, Pujol FH. Humoral Immunity across the SARS-CoV-2 Spike after Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) Vaccination. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:41. [PMID: 38804309 PMCID: PMC11130906 DOI: 10.3390/antib13020041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have contributed to attenuating the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting the development of effective immune responses, thus reducing the spread and severity of the pandemic. A clinical trial with the Sputnik-V vaccine was conducted in Venezuela from December 2020 to July 2021. The aim of this study was to explore the antibody reactivity of vaccinated individuals towards different regions of the spike protein (S). Neutralizing antibody (NAb) activity was assessed using a commercial surrogate assay, detecting NAbs against the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and a plaque reduction neutralization test. NAb levels were correlated with the reactivity of the antibodies to the spike regions over time. The presence of Abs against nucleoprotein was also determined to rule out the effect of exposure to the virus during the clinical trial in the serological response. A high serological reactivity was observed to S and specifically to S1 and the RBD. S2, although recognized with lower intensity by vaccinated individuals, was the subunit exhibiting the highest cross-reactivity in prepandemic sera. This study is in agreement with the high efficacy reported for the Sputnik V vaccine and shows that this vaccine is able to induce an immunity lasting for at least 180 days. The dissection of the Ab reactivity to different regions of S allowed us to identify the relevance of epitopes outside the RBD that are able to induce NAbs. This research may contribute to the understanding of vaccine immunity against SARS-CoV-2, which could contribute to the design of future vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cornejo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Christopher Franco
- Laboratorio de Virología Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (C.F.); (J.L.Z.)
| | - Mariajose Rodriguez-Nuñez
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Alexis García
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Inirida Belisario
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Soriuska Mayora
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Domingo José Garzaro
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - José Luis Zambrano
- Laboratorio de Virología Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (C.F.); (J.L.Z.)
| | - Rossana Celeste Jaspe
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Mariana Hidalgo
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Nereida Parra-Giménez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de Parásitos, Centro Biofísica y Bioquímica, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Franklin Ennodio Claro
- Departamento de Tuberculosis, Servicio Autónomo Instituto de Biomedicina “Dr. Jacinto Convit”, UCV, Caracas 1010A, Venezuela; (F.E.C.); (J.H.d.W.)
| | - Ferdinando Liprandi
- Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Jacobus Henri de Waard
- Departamento de Tuberculosis, Servicio Autónomo Instituto de Biomedicina “Dr. Jacinto Convit”, UCV, Caracas 1010A, Venezuela; (F.E.C.); (J.H.d.W.)
- Laboratorios de Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias de Salud, Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito 170125, Ecuador
| | - Héctor Rafael Rangel
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Flor Helene Pujol
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
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15
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Yu Y, Zhang M, Huang L, Chen Y, Wu X, Li T, Li Y, Wang Y, Huang W. COVID-19 Serum Drives Spike-Mediated SARS-CoV-2 Variation. Viruses 2024; 16:763. [PMID: 38793644 PMCID: PMC11126028 DOI: 10.3390/v16050763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies targeting the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, elicited either by natural infection or vaccination, are crucial for protection against the virus. Nonetheless, the emergence of viral escape mutants presents ongoing challenges by contributing to breakthrough infections. To define the evolution trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 within the immune population, we co-incubated replication-competent rVSV/SARS-CoV-2/GFP chimeric viruses with sera from COVID-19 convalescents. Our findings revealed that the E484D mutation contributes to increased viral resistant against both convalescent and vaccinated sera, while the L1265R/H1271Y double mutation enhanced viral infectivity in 293T-hACE2 and Vero cells. These findings suggest that under the selective pressure of polyclonal antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to accumulate mutations that facilitate either immune evasion or greater infectivity, facilitating its adaption to neutralizing antibody responses. Although the mutations identified in this study currently exhibit low prevalence in the circulating SARS-CoV-2 populations, the continuous and meticulous surveillance of viral mutations remains crucial. Moreover, there is an urgent necessity to develop next-generation antibody therapeutics and vaccines that target diverse, less mutation-prone antigenic sites to ensure more comprehensive and durable immune protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanling Yu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Mengyi Zhang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, No. 9 Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lan Huang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Yanhong Chen
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Xi Wu
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Regulatory Science, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China
| | - Tao Li
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
| | - Yanbo Li
- Beijing Yunling Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Youchun Wang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Weijin Huang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
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16
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Trischitta P, Tamburello MP, Venuti A, Pennisi R. Pseudovirus-Based Systems for Screening Natural Antiviral Agents: A Comprehensive Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5188. [PMID: 38791226 PMCID: PMC11121416 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, researchers have been working tirelessly to discover effective ways to combat coronavirus infection. The use of computational drug repurposing methods and molecular docking has been instrumental in identifying compounds that have the potential to disrupt the binding between the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and human ACE2 (hACE2). Moreover, the pseudovirus approach has emerged as a robust technique for investigating the mechanism of virus attachment to cellular receptors and for screening targeted small molecule drugs. Pseudoviruses are viral particles containing envelope proteins, which mediate the virus's entry with the same efficiency as that of live viruses but lacking pathogenic genes. Therefore, they represent a safe alternative to screen potential drugs inhibiting viral entry, especially for highly pathogenic enveloped viruses. In this review, we have compiled a list of antiviral plant extracts and natural products that have been extensively studied against enveloped emerging and re-emerging viruses by pseudovirus technology. The review is organized into three parts: (1) construction of pseudoviruses based on different packaging systems and applications; (2) knowledge of emerging and re-emerging viruses; (3) natural products active against pseudovirus-mediated entry. One of the most crucial stages in the life cycle of a virus is its penetration into host cells. Therefore, the discovery of viral entry inhibitors represents a promising therapeutic option in fighting against emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Trischitta
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (M.P.T.)
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Tamburello
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (M.P.T.)
| | - Assunta Venuti
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, 69366 Lyon, CEDEX 07, France;
| | - Rosamaria Pennisi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (P.T.); (M.P.T.)
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17
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Nazir MS, Ahmad M, Aslam S, Rafiq A, Al-Hussain SA, Zaki MEA. A Comprehensive Update of Anti-COVID-19 Activity of Heterocyclic Compounds. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:1547-1571. [PMID: 38737333 PMCID: PMC11088867 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s450499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the most considerable health problems across the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the major causative agent of COVID-19. The severe symptoms of this deadly disease include shortness of breath, fever, cough, loss of smell, and a broad spectrum of other health issues such as diarrhea, pneumonia, bronchitis, septic shock, and multiple organ failure. Currently, there are no medications available for coronavirus patients, except symptom-relieving drugs. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 requires the development of effective drugs and specific treatments. Heterocycles are important constituents of more than 85% of the physiologically active pharmaceutical drugs on the market now. Several FDA-approved drugs have been reported including molnupiravir, remdesivir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, favipiravir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine for the cure of COVID-19. In this study, we discuss potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 heterocyclic compounds that have been synthesized over the past few years. These compounds included; indole, piperidine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, piperazine, quinazoline, oxazole, quinoline, isoxazole, thiazole, quinoxaline, pyrazole, azafluorene, imidazole, thiadiazole, triazole, coumarin, chromene, and benzodioxole. Both in vitro and in silico studies were performed to determine the potential of these heterocyclic compounds in the fight against various SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matloob Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sana Aslam
- Department of Chemistry, Government College Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Rafiq
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sami A Al-Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magdi E A Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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18
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Yadav AK, Basavegowda N, Shirin S, Raju S, Sekar R, Somu P, Uthappa UT, Abdi G. Emerging Trends of Gold Nanostructures for Point-of-Care Biosensor-Based Detection of COVID-19. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01157-y. [PMID: 38703305 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01157-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
In 2019, a worldwide pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged. SARS-CoV-2 is the deadly microorganism responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has caused millions of deaths and irreversible health problems worldwide. To restrict the spread of SARS-CoV-2, accurate detection of COVID-19 is essential for the identification and control of infected cases. Although recent detection technologies such as the real-time polymerase chain reaction delivers an accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, they require a long processing duration, expensive equipment, and highly skilled personnel. Therefore, a rapid diagnosis with accurate results is indispensable to offer effective disease suppression. Nanotechnology is the backbone of current science and technology developments including nanoparticles (NPs) that can biomimic the corona and develop deep interaction with its proteins because of their identical structures on the nanoscale. Various NPs have been extensively applied in numerous medical applications, including implants, biosensors, drug delivery, and bioimaging. Among them, point-of-care biosensors mediated with gold nanoparticles (GNPSs) have received great attention due to their accurate sensing characteristics, which are widely used in the detection of amino acids, enzymes, DNA, and RNA in samples. GNPS have reconstructed the biomedical application of biosensors because of its outstanding physicochemical characteristics. This review provides an overview of emerging trends in GNP-mediated point-of-care biosensor strategies for diagnosing various mutated forms of human coronaviruses that incorporate different transducers and biomarkers. The review also specifically highlights trends in gold nanobiosensors for coronavirus detection, ranging from the initial COVID-19 outbreak to its subsequent evolution into a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhilesh Kumar Yadav
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, 413310, Taiwan
- Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Nagaraj Basavegowda
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38451, Republic of Korea
| | - Saba Shirin
- Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, 221005, India
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, 201312, India
| | - Shiji Raju
- Bioengineering and Nano Medicine Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Rajkumar Sekar
- Department of Chemistry, Karpaga Vinayaga College of Engineering and Technology, GST Road, Chinna Kolambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603308, India
| | - Prathap Somu
- Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, School of Civil, Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Dehmi Kalan, Off. Jaipur-Ajmeer Expressway, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India.
| | - U T Uthappa
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Department of Bioengineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - Gholamreza Abdi
- Department of Biotechnology, Persian Gulf Research Institute, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, 75169, Iran.
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19
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Fragoso JM, Vargas-Alarcón G, Martínez-Flores ÁE, Montufar-Robles I, Barbosa-Cobos RE, Rojas-Velasco G, Ramírez-Bello J. ELANE rs17223045C/T and rs3761007G/A variants: Protective factors against COVID-19. BIOMOLECULES & BIOMEDICINE 2024; 24:665-672. [PMID: 38226800 PMCID: PMC11088890 DOI: 10.17305/bb.2023.9940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The development and severity of this infectious disease is influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) facilitates SARS-CoV-2 entry into human cells, with transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) playing a crucial role in S protein priming. Other proteases, such as cathepsin L and elastase, neutrophil-expressed (ELANE), have the capability to prime the S protein and contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infection. ELANE variants have not been previously examined in COVID-19 patients. We aimed to assess the association of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) within ELANE with COVID-19 and biochemical markers. The study included 319 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients and 288 controls. Genotyping of ELANE rs17216663C/T (Pro257Leu), rs17223045C/T (As1n30Asn), and rs3761007G/A was conducted using a 5'-nuclease allelic discrimination assay (TaqMan assay). Our findings indicate that ELANE rs17223045C/T (C vs T: odds ratio [OR] 0.08, P = 0.005, and CC vs CT: OR 0.08, P = 0.005) and rs3761007G/A (G vs A: OR 0.38, P = 0.009, and GG vs GA: OR 0.40, P = 0.008) confer protection against COVID-19. However, these variants were not associated with biochemical markers. In conclusion, our data suggests that ELANE rs17223045C/T and rs3761007G/A SNVs may play a protective role against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Fragoso
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México City, México
| | - Gilberto Vargas-Alarcón
- Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México City, México
| | | | | | | | - Gustavo Rojas-Velasco
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México City, México
| | - Julian Ramírez-Bello
- Subdirección de Investigación Clínica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
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20
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Qu S, Yang C, Sun X, Huang H, Li J, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Li L, Liang H, Zen K. Blockade of pan-viral propagation by inhibition of host cell PNPT1. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107124. [PMID: 38412930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2024.107124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
For successful viral propagation within infected cells, the virus needs to overcome the cellular integrated stress response (ISR), triggered during viral infection, which, in turn, inhibits general protein translation. This paper reports a tactic employed by viruses to suppress the ISR by upregulating host cell polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase 1 (PNPT1). The propagation of adenovirus, murine cytomegalovirus and hepatovirus within their respective host cells induces PNPT1 expression. Notably, when PNPT1 is knocked down, the propagation of all three viruses is prevented. Mechanistically, the inhibition of PNPT1 facilitates the relocation of mitochondrial double-stranded RNAs (mt-dsRNAs) to the cytoplasm, where they activate RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR). This activation leads to eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation, resulting in the suppression of translation. Furthermore, by scrutinizing the PNPT1 recognition element and screening 17,728 drugs and bioactive compounds approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, lanatoside C was identified as a potent PNPT1 inhibitor. This compound impedes the propagation of adenovirus, murine cytomegalovirus and hepatovirus, and suppresses production of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 spike protein. These discoveries shed light on a novel strategy to impede pan-viral propagation by activating the host cell mt-dsRNA-PKR-eIF2α signalling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Qu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinlei Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiacheng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yujie Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaliang Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Limin Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongwei Liang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ke Zen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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21
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Grewal T, Nguyen MKL, Buechler C. Cholesterol and COVID-19-therapeutic opportunities at the host/virus interface during cell entry. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302453. [PMID: 38388172 PMCID: PMC10883773 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of vaccines to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has been critical to reduce the severity of COVID-19. However, the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 subtypes highlights the need to develop additional approaches that oppose viral infections. Targeting host factors that support virus entry, replication, and propagation provide opportunities to lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and improve COVID-19 outcome. This includes cellular cholesterol, which is critical for viral spike proteins to capture the host machinery for SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. Once endocytosed, exit of SARS-CoV-2 from the late endosomal/lysosomal compartment occurs in a cholesterol-sensitive manner. In addition, effective release of new viral particles also requires cholesterol. Hence, cholesterol-lowering statins, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 antibodies, and ezetimibe have revealed potential to protect against COVID-19. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of cholesterol exiting late endosomes/lysosomes identified drug candidates, including antifungals, to block SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review describes the multiple roles of cholesterol at the cell surface and endolysosomes for SARS-CoV-2 entry and the potential of drugs targeting cholesterol homeostasis to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and COVID-19 disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Grewal
- https://ror.org/0384j8v12 School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mai Khanh Linh Nguyen
- https://ror.org/0384j8v12 School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christa Buechler
- https://ror.org/01226dv09 Department of Internal Medicine I, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany
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22
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Nagahawatta DP, Liyanage NM, Jayawardena TU, Jayawardhana HHACK, Jeong SH, Kwon HJ, Jeon YJ. Role of marine natural products in the development of antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2: potential and prospects. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 6:280-297. [PMID: 38827130 PMCID: PMC11136918 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
A novel coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has surfaced and caused global concern owing to its ferocity. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019; however, it was only discovered at the end of the year and was considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the development of novel potent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and future outbreaks is urgently required. Numerous naturally occurring bioactive substances have been studied in the clinical setting for diverse disorders. The intricate infection and replication mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 offers diverse therapeutic drug targets for developing antiviral medicines by employing natural products that are safer than synthetic compounds. Marine natural products (MNPs) have received increased attention in the development of novel drugs owing to their high diversity and availability. Therefore, this review article investigates the infection and replication mechanisms, including the function of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and structure. Furthermore, we highlighted anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic intervention efforts utilizing MNPs and predicted SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor design. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. P. Nagahawatta
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - N. M. Liyanage
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - Thilina U. Jayawardena
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3 Canada
| | | | - Seong-Hun Jeong
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kwon
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Jin Jeon
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
- Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63333 Republic of Korea
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23
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Reim T, Ehrt C, Graef J, Günther S, Meents A, Rarey M. SiteMine: Large-scale binding site similarity searching in protein structure databases. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300661. [PMID: 38335311 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Drug discovery and design challenges, such as drug repurposing, analyzing protein-ligand and protein-protein complexes, ligand promiscuity studies, or function prediction, can be addressed by protein binding site similarity analysis. Although numerous tools exist, they all have individual strengths and drawbacks with regard to run time, provision of structure superpositions, and applicability to diverse application domains. Here, we introduce SiteMine, an all-in-one database-driven, alignment-providing binding site similarity search tool to tackle the most pressing challenges of binding site comparison. The performance of SiteMine is evaluated on the ProSPECCTs benchmark, showing a promising performance on most of the data sets. The method performs convincingly regarding all quality criteria for reliable binding site comparison, offering a novel state-of-the-art approach for structure-based molecular design based on binding site comparisons. In a SiteMine showcase, we discuss the high structural similarity between cathepsin L and calpain 1 binding sites and give an outlook on the impact of this finding on structure-based drug design. SiteMine is available at https://uhh.de/naomi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Reim
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Ehrt
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joel Graef
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Günther
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alke Meents
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Rarey
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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24
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Pérez-Vargas J, Lemieux G, Thompson CAH, Désilets A, Ennis S, Gao G, Gordon DG, Schulz AL, Niikura M, Nabi IR, Krajden M, Boudreault PL, Leduc R, Jean F. Nanomolar anti-SARS-CoV-2 Omicron activity of the host-directed TMPRSS2 inhibitor N-0385 and synergistic action with direct-acting antivirals. Antiviral Res 2024; 225:105869. [PMID: 38548023 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants with increased transmissibility and immune evasion are spreading globally with alarming persistence. Whether the mutations and evolution of spike (S) Omicron subvariants alter the viral hijacking of human TMPRSS2 for viral entry remains to be elucidated. This is particularly important to investigate because of the large number and diversity of mutations of S Omicron subvariants reported since the emergence of BA.1. Here we report that human TMPRSS2 is a molecular determinant of viral entry for all the Omicron clinical isolates tested in human lung cells, including ancestral Omicron subvariants (BA.1, BA.2, BA.5), contemporary Omicron subvariants (BQ.1.1, XBB.1.5, EG.5.1) and currently circulating Omicron BA.2.86. First, we used a co-transfection assay to demonstrate the endoproteolytic cleavage by TMPRSS2 of spike Omicron subvariants. Second, we found that N-0385, a highly potent TMPRSS2 inhibitor, is a robust entry inhibitor of virus-like particles harbouring the S protein of Omicron subvariants. Third, we show that N-0385 exhibits nanomolar broad-spectrum antiviral activity against live Omicron subvariants in human Calu-3 lung cells and primary patient-derived bronchial epithelial cells. Interestingly, we found that N-0385 is 10-20 times more potent than the repositioned TMPRSS2 inhibitor, camostat, against BA.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86. We further found that N-0385 shows broad synergistic activity with clinically approved direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), i.e., remdesivir and nirmatrelvir, against Omicron subvariants, demonstrating the potential therapeutic benefits of a multi-targeted treatment based on N-0385 and DAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Pérez-Vargas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Lemieux
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Connor A H Thompson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Antoine Désilets
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Siobhan Ennis
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Guang Gao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Danielle G Gordon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Annika Lea Schulz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Masahiro Niikura
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Ivan Robert Nabi
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mel Krajden
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard Leduc
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - François Jean
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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25
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Duan H, Zhang E, Ren G, Cheng Y, Yang B, Liu L, Jolicoeur N, Hu H, Xu Y, Liu B. Exploring immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 variants using a pseudotyped system. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29939. [PMID: 38699727 PMCID: PMC11063423 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In the United States, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have consistently been linked to the prevailing variant XBB.1.5 of SARS-CoV-2 since late 2022. A system has been developed for producing and infecting cells with a pseudovirus (PsV) of SARS-CoV-2 to investigate the infection in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory. This system utilizes a lentiviral vector carrying ZsGreen1 and Firefly luciferase (Fluc) dual reporter genes, facilitating the analysis of experimental results. In addition, we have created a panel of PsV variants that depict both previous and presently circulating mutations found in circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains. A series of PsVs includes the prototype SARS-CoV-2, Delta B.1.617.2, BA.5, XBB.1, and XBB.1.5. To facilitate the study of infections caused by different variants of SARS-CoV-2 PsV, we have developed a HEK-293T cell line expressing mCherry and human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). To validate whether different SARS-CoV-2 PsV variants can be used for neutralization assays, we employed serum from rats immunized with the PF-D-Trimer protein vaccine to investigate its inhibitory effect on the infectivity of various SARS-CoV-2 PsV variants. According to our observations, the XBB variant, particularly XBB.1.5, exhibits stronger immune evasion capabilities than the prototype SARS-CoV-2, Delta B.1.617.2, and BA.5 PsV variants. Hence, utilizing the neutralization test, this study has the capability to forecast the effectiveness in preventing future SARS-CoV-2 variants infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixiao Duan
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ershuai Zhang
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ge Ren
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yining Cheng
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Binfeng Yang
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | - Lirong Liu
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | | | - Han Hu
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | - Binlei Liu
- National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China
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26
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Freidel MR, Armen RS. Research Progress on Spike-Dependent SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors and Small Molecules Targeting the S2 Subunit of Spike. Viruses 2024; 16:712. [PMID: 38793593 PMCID: PMC11125925 DOI: 10.3390/v16050712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive drug repurposing efforts have sought to identify small-molecule antivirals with various mechanisms of action. Here, we aim to review research progress on small-molecule viral entry and fusion inhibitors that directly bind to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Early in the pandemic, numerous small molecules were identified in drug repurposing screens and reported to be effective in in vitro SARS-CoV-2 viral entry or fusion inhibitors. However, given minimal experimental information regarding the exact location of small-molecule binding sites on Spike, it was unclear what the specific mechanism of action was or where the exact binding sites were on Spike for some inhibitor candidates. The work of countless researchers has yielded great progress, with the identification of many viral entry inhibitors that target elements on the S1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) or N-terminal domain (NTD) and disrupt the S1 receptor-binding function. In this review, we will also focus on highlighting fusion inhibitors that target inhibition of the S2 fusion function, either by disrupting the formation of the postfusion S2 conformation or alternatively by stabilizing structural elements of the prefusion S2 conformation to prevent conformational changes associated with S2 function. We highlight experimentally validated binding sites on the S1/S2 interface and on the S2 subunit. While most substitutions to the Spike protein to date in variants of concern (VOCs) have been localized to the S1 subunit, the S2 subunit sequence is more conserved, with only a few observed substitutions in proximity to S2 binding sites. Several recent small molecules targeting S2 have been shown to have robust activity over recent VOC mutant strains and/or greater broad-spectrum antiviral activity for other more distantly related coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger S. Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA;
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27
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Singh L, Kumar A, Rai M, Basnet B, Rai N, Khanal P, Lai KS, Cheng WH, Asaad AM, Ansari S. Spectrum of COVID-19 induced liver injury: A review report. World J Hepatol 2024; 16:517-536. [PMID: 38689748 PMCID: PMC11056898 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i4.517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused changes in the global health system, causing significant setbacks in healthcare systems worldwide. This pandemic has also shown resilience, flexibility, and creativity in reacting to the tragedy. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection targets most of the respiratory tract, resulting in a severe sickness called acute respiratory distress syndrome that may be fatal in some individuals. Although the lung is the primary organ targeted by COVID-19 viruses, the clinical aspect of the disease is varied and ranges from asymptomatic to respiratory failure. However, due to an unorganized immune response and several affected mechanisms, the liver may also experience liver cell injury, ischemic liver dysfunction, and drug-induced liver injury, which can result in respiratory failure because of the immune system's disordered response and other compromised processes that can end in multisystem organ failure. Patients with liver cirrhosis or those who have impaired immune systems may be more likely than other groups to experience worse results from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We thus intend to examine the pathogenesis, current therapy, and consequences of liver damage concerning COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokjan Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Karnali Academy of Health Science, Teaching Hospital, Jumla 21200, Karnali, Nepal
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Karnali Academy of Health Science, Teaching Hospital, Jumla 21200, Karnali, Nepal
| | - Maya Rai
- Department of Microbiology, Karnali Academy of Health Science, Teaching Hospital, Jumla 21200, Karnali, Nepal
| | - Bibek Basnet
- Health Sciences, Asian College of Advance Studies, Purbanchal University, Satdobato 24122, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Nishant Rai
- Department of Biotechnology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pukar Khanal
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, KLE College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi 590010, Karnataka, India
| | - Kok-Song Lai
- Division of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi Women's College, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi 41012, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wan-Hee Cheng
- Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Morad Asaad
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Shamshul Ansari
- Division of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi Women's College, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi 41012, United Arab Emirates.
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28
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Wu G, Li Q, Dai J, Mao G, Ma Y. Design and Application of Biosafe Coronavirus Engineering Systems without Virulence. Viruses 2024; 16:659. [PMID: 38793541 PMCID: PMC11126016 DOI: 10.3390/v16050659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last twenty years, three deadly zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs)-namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2-have emerged. They are considered highly pathogenic for humans, particularly SARS-CoV-2, which caused the 2019 CoV disease pandemic (COVID-19), endangering the lives and health of people globally and causing unpredictable economic losses. Experiments on wild-type viruses require biosafety level 3 or 4 laboratories (BSL-3 or BSL-4), which significantly hinders basic virological research. Therefore, the development of various biosafe CoV systems without virulence is urgently needed to meet the requirements of different research fields, such as antiviral and vaccine evaluation. This review aimed to comprehensively summarize the biosafety of CoV engineering systems. These systems combine virological foundations with synthetic genomics techniques, enabling the development of efficient tools for attenuated or non-virulent vaccines, the screening of antiviral drugs, and the investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of novel microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; (G.W.); (Q.L.); (J.D.)
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Qiaoyu Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; (G.W.); (Q.L.); (J.D.)
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Junbiao Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; (G.W.); (Q.L.); (J.D.)
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Guobin Mao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; (G.W.); (Q.L.); (J.D.)
| | - Yingxin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; (G.W.); (Q.L.); (J.D.)
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Feng J, Huang X, Xu Q, Tang R, Zhou Y, Qin S, Xing S, Gao Y, Mei S, He Z. Pharmacological inhibition of the ACE/Ang-2/AT1 axis alleviates mechanical ventilation-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 131:111855. [PMID: 38493697 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Mechanical ventilation (MV) is an essential therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. However, it can also induce mechanical ventilation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (MVPF) and the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Based on a mouse model of MVPF, the present study aimed to explore the role of the angiotensin-converting enzyme/angiotensin II/angiotensin type 1 receptor (ACE/Ang-2/AT1R) axis in the process of MVPF. In addition, recombinant angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(rACE2), AT1R inhibitor valsartan, AGTR1-directed shRNA and ACE inhibitor perindopril were applied to verify the effect of inhibiting ACE/Ang-2/AT1R axis in the treatment of MVPF. Our study found MV induced an inflammatory reaction and collagen deposition in mouse lung tissue accompanied by the activation of ACE in lung tissue, increased concentration of Ang-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and upregulation of AT1R in alveolar epithelial cells. The process of pulmonary fibrosis could be alleviated by the application of the ACE inhibitor perindopril, ATIR inhibitor valsartan and AGTR1-directed shRNA. Meanwhile, rACE2 could also alleviate MVPF through the degradation of Ang-2. Our finding indicated the ACE/Ang-2/AT1R axis played an essential role in the pathogenesis of MVPF. Pharmacological inhibition of the ACE/Ang-2/AT1R axis might be a promising strategy for the treatment of MVPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Feng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Qiaoyi Xu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Ri Tang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Shaojie Qin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Shunpeng Xing
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Shuya Mei
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China.
| | - Zhengyu He
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China.
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30
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Boesze-Battaglia K, Cohen GH, Bates PF, Walker LM, Zekavat A, Shenker BJ. Cellugyrin (synaptogyrin-2) dependent pathways are used by bacterial cytolethal distending toxin and SARS-CoV-2 virus to gain cell entry. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1334224. [PMID: 38698905 PMCID: PMC11063343 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1334224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is capable of intoxicating lymphocytes macrophages, mast cells and epithelial cells. Following Cdt binding to cholesterol, in the region of membrane lipid rafts, the CdtB and CdtC subunits are internalized and traffic to intracellular compartments. These events are dependent upon, cellugyrin, a critical component of synaptic like microvesicles (SLMVCg+). Target cells, such as Jurkat cells, rendered unable to express cellugyrin are resistant to Cdt-induced toxicity. Similar to Cdt, SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is initiated by binding to cell surface receptors, ACE-2, also associated with cholesterol-rich lipid rafts; this association leads to fusion and/or endocytosis of viral and host cell membranes and intracellular trafficking. The similarity in internalization pathways for both Cdt and SARS-CoV-2 led us to consider the possibility that cellugyrin was a critical component in both processes. Cellugyrin deficient Calu-3 cells (Calu-3Cg-) were prepared using Lentiviral particles containing shRNA; these cells were resistant to infection by VSV/SARS-CoV-2-spike pseudotype virus and partially resistant to VSV/VSV-G pseudotype virus. Synthetic peptides representing various regions of the cellugyrin protein were prepared and assessed for their ability to bind to Cdt subunits using surface plasmon resonance. Cdt was capable of binding to a region designated the middle outer loop (MOL) which corresponds to a region extending into the cytoplasmic surface of the SLMVCg+. SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins were assessed for their ability to bind to cellugyrin peptides; SARS-CoV-2 full length spike protein preferentially binds to a region within the SLMVCg+ lumen, designated intraluminal loop 1A. SARS-CoV-2-spike protein domain S1, which contains the receptor binding domains, binds to cellugyrin N-terminus which extends out from the cytoplasmic surface of SLMV. Binding specificity was further analyzed using cellugyrin scrambled peptide mutants. We propose that SLMVCg+ represent a component of a common pathway that facilitates pathogen and/or pathogen-derived toxins to gain host cell entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia
- Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gary H. Cohen
- Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Paul F. Bates
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lisa M. Walker
- Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ali Zekavat
- Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Bruce J. Shenker
- Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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31
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Huguet M, Boigues M, Sorigué M, Blanco J, Quirant B, Ferrà C. Efficacy and safety of mRNA1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: Single center experience. Med Clin (Barc) 2024; 162:313-320. [PMID: 38000941 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 represents a worldwide pandemic and vaccination remains the most effective preventive strategy. Among hematological patients, COVID-19 has been associated with a high mortality rate. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has shown high efficacy in reducing community transmission, hospitalization and deaths related to severe COVID-19 disease. However, patients with impaired immunity may have lower sero-responsiveness to vaccination. METHODS This study focuses on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. We performed a unicenter, prospective, observational study of a cohort of 31 allogeneic and 56 autologous-HSCT recipients monitored between March 2021 and May 2021 for serological response after COVID-19 vaccination with two doses of mRNA1273 vaccine (Moderna). In order to determine seroconversion, serological status before vaccination was studied. RESULTS At a median range of 75 days after the second vaccine dose, seroconversion rates were 84% and 85% for the autologous and allogeneic-HSCT groups, respectively. We confirmed some potential risk factors for a negative serological response, such as receiving anti-CD20 therapy in the previous year before vaccination, a low B-lymphocyte count and hypogammaglobulinemia. Neutralizing antibodies were quantified in 44 patients, with a good correlation with serological tests. Adverse events were minimal. CONCLUSION mRNA1273 vaccination is safe and effective in HSCT recipients, especially in those presenting recovered immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Huguet
- Hematology Department, ICO Badalona - Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
| | - Marc Boigues
- Immunology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marc Sorigué
- Hematology Department, ICO Badalona - Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Bibiana Quirant
- Immunology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Christelle Ferrà
- Hematology Department, ICO Badalona - Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Spain
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Purwono PB, Vacharathit V, Manopwisedjaroen S, Ludowyke N, Suksatu A, Thitithanyanont A. Infection kinetics, syncytia formation, and inflammatory biomarkers as predictive indicators for the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Calu-3 cells. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301330. [PMID: 38568894 PMCID: PMC10990222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants as a result of continued host-virus interaction and viral genome mutations. These variants have been associated with varying levels of transmissibility and disease severity. We investigated the phenotypic profiles of six SARS-CoV-2 variants (WT, D614G, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron) in Calu-3 cells, a human lung epithelial cell line. In our model demonstrated that all variants, except for Omicron, had higher efficiency in virus entry compared to the wild-type. The Delta variant had the greatest phenotypic advantage in terms of early infection kinetics and marked syncytia formation, which could facilitate cell-to-cell spreading, while the Omicron variant displayed slower replication and fewer syncytia formation. We also identified the Delta variant as the strongest inducer of inflammatory biomarkers, including pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines (IP-10/CXCL10, TNF-α, and IL-6), anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1RA), and growth factors (FGF-2 and VEGF-A), while these inflammatory mediators were not significantly elevated with Omicron infection. These findings are consistent with the observations that there was a generally more pronounced inflammatory response and angiogenesis activity within the lungs of COVID-19 patients as well as more severe symptoms and higher mortality rate during the Delta wave, as compared to less severe symptoms and lower mortality observed during the current Omicron wave in Thailand. Our findings suggest that early infectivity kinetics, enhanced syncytia formation, and specific inflammatory mediator production may serve as predictive indicators for the virulence potential of future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyo Budi Purwono
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Vimvara Vacharathit
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Faculty of Science, Systems Biology of Diseases Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Natali Ludowyke
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ampa Suksatu
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arunee Thitithanyanont
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Pornchai Matangkasombut Center for Microbial Genomics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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33
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Visser N, Herreman LCM, Vandooren J, Pereira RVS, Opdenakker G, Spelbrink REJ, Wilbrink MH, Bremer E, Gosens R, Nawijn MC, van der Ende-Metselaar HH, Smit JM, Laus MC, Laman JD. Novel high-yield potato protease inhibitor panels block a wide array of proteases involved in viral infection and crucial tissue damage. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:521-536. [PMID: 38381158 PMCID: PMC10963447 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02423-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Viruses critically rely on various proteases to ensure host cell entry and replication. In response to viral infection, the host will induce acute tissue inflammation pulled by granulocytes. Upon hyperactivation, neutrophil granulocytes may cause undue tissue damage through proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix. Here, we assess the potential of protease inhibitors (PI) derived from potatoes in inhibiting viral infection and reducing tissue damage. The original full spectrum of potato PI was developed into five fractions by means of chromatography and hydrolysis. Individual fractions showed varying inhibitory efficacy towards a panel of proteases including trypsin, chymotrypsin, ACE2, elastase, and cathepsins B and L. The fractions did not interfere with SARS-CoV-2 infection of Vero E6 cells in vitro. Importantly, two of the fractions fully inhibited elastin-degrading activity of complete primary human neutrophil degranulate. These data warrant further development of potato PI fractions for biomedical purposes, including tissue damage crucial to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. KEY MESSAGES: Protease inhibitor fractions from potato differentially inhibit a series of human proteases involved in viral replication and in tissue damage by overshoot inflammation. Protease inhibition of cell surface receptors such as ACE2 does not prevent virus infection of Vero cells in vitro. Protease inhibitors derived from potato can fully inhibit elastin-degrading primary human neutrophil proteases. Protease inhibitor fractions can be produced at high scale (hundreds of thousands of kilograms, i.e., tons) allowing economically feasible application in lower and higher income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke Visser
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jennifer Vandooren
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Rafaela Vaz Sousa Pereira
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Ghislain Opdenakker
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | | | | | - Edwin Bremer
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC) Research Institute, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn C Nawijn
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC) Research Institute, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi H van der Ende-Metselaar
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda M Smit
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marc C Laus
- Avebe Innovation Center Groningen, 9747 AW, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jon D Laman
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Han C, Kim S, Seo Y, Lim M, Kwon Y, Yi J, Oh S, Kang M, Jeon SG, Park J. Cell-engineered virus-mimetic nanovesicles for vaccination against enveloped viruses. J Extracell Vesicles 2024; 13:e12438. [PMID: 38659363 PMCID: PMC11043678 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Enveloped viruses pose a significant threat to human health, as evidenced by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Although current vaccine strategies have proven effective in preventing viral infections, the development of innovative vaccine technologies is crucial to fortify our defences against future pandemics. In this study, we introduce a novel platform called cell-engineered virus-mimetic nanovesicles (VNVs) and demonstrate their potential as a vaccine for targeting enveloped viruses. VNVs are generated by extruding plasma membrane-derived blebs through nanoscale membrane filters. These VNVs closely resemble enveloped viruses and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in size and morphology, being densely packed with plasma membrane contents and devoid of materials from other membranous organelles. Due to these properties, VNVs express viral membrane antigens more extensively and homogeneously than EVs expressing the same antigen. In this study, we produced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) VNVs expressing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein (S) on their surfaces and assessed their preclinical efficacy as a COVID-19 vaccine in experimental animals. The administration of VNVs successfully stimulated the production of S-specific antibodies both systemically and locally, and immune cells isolated from vaccinated mice displayed cytokine responses to S stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chungmin Han
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Suyeon Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Youngjoo Seo
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Minyeob Lim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Yongmin Kwon
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Johan Yi
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Seung‐Ik Oh
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | - Minsu Kang
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
| | | | - Jaesung Park
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I‐Bio)Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangRepublic of Korea
- Wireless Integrated MicroSensing & Systems, College of EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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Laghlali G, Wiest MJ, Karadag D, Warang P, O'Konek JJ, Chang LA, Park S, Farazuddin M, Landers JJ, Janczak KW, García-Sastre A, Baker JR, Wong PT, Schotsaert M. Enhanced mucosal B- and T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 after heterologous intramuscular mRNA prime/intranasal protein boost vaccination with a combination adjuvant. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.28.587260. [PMID: 38586014 PMCID: PMC10996704 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.587260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Current COVID-19 mRNA vaccines delivered intramuscularly (IM) induce effective systemic immunity, but with suboptimal immunity at mucosal sites, limiting their ability to impart sterilizing immunity. There is strong interest in rerouting immune responses induced in the periphery by parenteral vaccination to the portal entry site of respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, by mucosal vaccination. We previously demonstrated the combination adjuvant, NE/IVT, consisting of a nanoemulsion (NE) and an RNA-based RIG-I agonist (IVT) induces potent systemic and mucosal immune responses in protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines administered intranasally (IN). Herein, we demonstrate priming IM with mRNA followed by heterologous IN boosting with NE/IVT adjuvanted recombinant antigen induces strong mucosal and systemic antibody responses and enhances antigen-specific T cell responses in mucosa-draining lymph nodes compared to IM/IM and IN/IN prime/boost regimens. While all regimens induced cross-neutralizing antibodies against divergent variants and sterilizing immunity in the lungs of challenged mice, mucosal vaccination, either as homologous prime/boost or heterologous IN boost after IM mRNA prime was required to impart sterilizing immunity in the upper respiratory tract. Our data demonstrate the benefit of hybrid regimens whereby strong immune responses primed via IM vaccination are rerouted by IN vaccination to mucosal sites to provide optimal protection to SARS-CoV-2.
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Park C, Hwang IY, Yan SLS, Vimonpatranon S, Wei D, Van Ryk D, Girard A, Cicala C, Arthos J, Kehrl JH. Murine alveolar macrophages rapidly accumulate intranasally administered SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein leading to neutrophil recruitment and damage. eLife 2024; 12:RP86764. [PMID: 38507462 PMCID: PMC10954308 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The trimeric SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein mediates viral attachment facilitating cell entry. Most COVID-19 vaccines direct mammalian cells to express the Spike protein or deliver it directly via inoculation to engender a protective immune response. The trafficking and cellular tropism of the Spike protein in vivo and its impact on immune cells remains incompletely elucidated. In this study, we inoculated mice intranasally, intravenously, and subcutaneously with fluorescently labeled recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Using flow cytometry and imaging techniques, we analyzed its localization, immune cell tropism, and acute functional impact. Intranasal administration led to rapid lung alveolar macrophage uptake, pulmonary vascular leakage, and neutrophil recruitment and damage. When injected near the inguinal lymph node medullary, but not subcapsular macrophages, captured the protein, while scrotal injection recruited and fragmented neutrophils. Widespread endothelial and liver Kupffer cell uptake followed intravenous administration. Human peripheral blood cells B cells, neutrophils, monocytes, and myeloid dendritic cells all efficiently bound Spike protein. Exposure to the Spike protein enhanced neutrophil NETosis and augmented human macrophage TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) and IL-6 production. Human and murine immune cells employed C-type lectin receptors and Siglecs to help capture the Spike protein. This study highlights the potential toxicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein for mammalian cells and illustrates the central role for alveolar macrophage in pathogenic protein uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung Park
- B-Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Il-Young Hwang
- B-Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Serena Li-Sue Yan
- B-Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Sinmanus Vimonpatranon
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Retrovirology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences – United States ComponentBangkokThailand
| | - Danlan Wei
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Don Van Ryk
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Alexandre Girard
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Claudia Cicala
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - James Arthos
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - John H Kehrl
- B-Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
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Mao ND, Xu Y, Che H, Yao X, Gao Y, Wang C, Deng H, Hui Z, Zhang H, Ye XY. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 1,2,4a,5-tetrahydro-4H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazino[4,3-d][1,4]oxazine-based AAK1 inhibitors with anti-viral property against SARS-CoV-2. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116232. [PMID: 38377825 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Coronavirus entry into host cells hinges on the interaction between the spike glycoprotein of the virus and the cell-surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), initiating the subsequent clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) pathway. AP-2-associated protein kinase 1 (AAK1) holds a pivotal role in this pathway, regulating CME by modulating the phosphorylation of the μ subunit of adaptor protein 2 (AP2M1). Herein, we report a series of novel AAK1 inhibitors based on previously reported 1,2,4a,5-tetrahydro-4H-benzo[b] [1,4]oxazino[4,3-d] [1,4]oxazine scaffold. Among 23 synthesized compounds, compound 12e is the most potent one with an IC50 value of 9.38 ± 0.34 nM against AAK1. The in vitro antiviral activity of 12e against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated using a model involving SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infecting hACE2-HEK293 host cells. The results revealed that 12e was superior in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells when compared to SGC-AAK1-1 and LX9211, and its activity was comparable to that of a related and reference compound 8. Mechanistically, all AAK1 inhibitors attenuated AAK1-induced phosphorylation of AP2M1 threonine 156 and disrupted the direct interaction between AP2M1 and ACE2, ultimately inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, compounds 8 and 12e exhibited a more potent effect in suppressing the phosphorylation of AP2M1 T156 and the interaction between AP2M1 and ACE2. In conclusion, novel AAK1 inhibitor 12e demonstrates significant efficacy in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection, and holds promise as a potential candidate for developing novel antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian-Dong Mao
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Yueying Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Hao Che
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Xia Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Haowen Deng
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Zi Hui
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China.
| | - Hang Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China.
| | - Xiang-Yang Ye
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China.
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Huang Y, Zhou H, Wang Y, Xiao L, Qin W, Li L. A comprehensive investigation on the receptor BSG expression reveals the potential risk of healthy individuals and cancer patients to 2019-nCoV infection. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5412-5434. [PMID: 38484369 PMCID: PMC11006473 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a newly emerging coronavirus. BSG (basigin) is involved in the tumorigenesis of multiple tumors and recently emerged as a novel viral entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. However, its expression profile in normal individuals and cancer patients are still unclear. METHODS We performed a comprehensive analysis of the expression and distribution of BSG in normal tissues, tumor tissues, and cell lines via bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification. In addition, we investigated the expression of BSG and its isoforms in multiple malignancies and adjacent normal tissues, and explored the prognostic values across pan-cancers. Finally, we conducted function analysis for co-expressed genes with BSG. RESULTS We found BSG was highly conserved in different species, and was ubiquitously expressed in almost all normal tissues and significantly increased in some types of cancer tissues. Moreover, BSG at mRNA expression level was higher than ACE2 in normal lung tissues, and lung cancer tissues. High expression of BSG indicated shorter overall survival (OS) in multiple tumors. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses indicated that BSG is mostly enriched in genes for mitochondria electron transport, oxidoreduction-driven active transmembrane transporter activity, mitochondrial inner membrane, oxidative phosphorylation, and genes involving COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS Our present work emphasized the value of targeting BSG in the treatment of COVID-19 and cancer, and also provided several novel insights for understanding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbiao Huang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haiting Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingyan Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wan Qin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Long Li
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Reiter L, Greffrath J, Zidel B, Ostrowski M, Gommerman J, Madhi SA, Tran R, Martin-Orozco N, Panicker RKG, Cooper C, Pastrak A. Comparable safety and non-inferior immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine candidate PTX-COVID19-B and BNT162b2 in a phase 2 randomized, observer-blinded study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5365. [PMID: 38438427 PMCID: PMC10912344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 into a seasonal pathogen along with the emergence of new variants, underscores the need for dynamic and adaptable responses, emphasizing the importance of sustained vaccination strategies. This observer-blind, double-dummy, randomized immunobridging phase 2 study (NCT05175742) aimed to compare the immunogenicity induced by two doses of 40 μg PTX-COVID19-B vaccine candidate administered 28 days apart, with the response induced by two doses of 30 µg Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2), administered 21 days apart, in Nucleocapsid-protein seronegative adults 18-64 years of age. Both vaccines were administrated via intramuscular injection in the deltoid muscle. Two weeks after the second dose, the neutralizing antibody (NAb) geometric mean titer ratio and seroconversion rate met the non-inferiority criteria, successfully achieving the primary immunogenicity endpoints of the study. PTX-COVID19-B demonstrated similar safety and tolerability profile to BNT162b2 vaccine. The lowest NAb response was observed in subjects with low-to-undetectable NAb at baseline or no reported breakthrough infection. Conversely, participants who experienced breakthrough infections during the study exhibited higher NAb titers. This study also shows induction of cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses by PTX-COVID19-B. In conclusion, the vaccine candidate PTX-COVID19-B demonstrated favourable safety profile along with immunogenicity similar to the active comparator BNT162b2 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Reiter
- Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc., 120-8832 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 3J1, Canada
| | - Johann Greffrath
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bian Zidel
- Malton Medical Center, 6870 Goreway Dr., Mississauga, ON, L4V 1P1, Canada
| | - Mario Ostrowski
- Department of Medicine, Immunology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Rm 6271. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jennifer Gommerman
- Department of Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, 1 King's College Circle, Rm. 7233, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shabir A Madhi
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Richard Tran
- Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc., 120-8832 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 3J1, Canada
| | - Natalia Martin-Orozco
- Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc., 120-8832 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 3J1, Canada
| | | | - Curtis Cooper
- The Ottawa Hospital Viral Hepatitis Program, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave. East, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Aleksandra Pastrak
- Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc., 120-8832 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 3J1, Canada.
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Alipour Z, Zarezadeh S, Ghotbi-Ravandi AA. The Potential of Anti-coronavirus Plant Secondary Metabolites in COVID-19 Drug Discovery as an Alternative to Repurposed Drugs: A Review. PLANTA MEDICA 2024; 90:172-203. [PMID: 37956978 DOI: 10.1055/a-2209-6357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
In early 2020, a global pandemic was announced due to the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known to cause COVID-19. Despite worldwide efforts, there are only limited options regarding antiviral drug treatments for COVID-19. Although vaccines are now available, issues such as declining efficacy against different SARS-CoV-2 variants and the aging of vaccine-induced immunity highlight the importance of finding more antiviral drugs as a second line of defense against the disease. Drug repurposing has been used to rapidly find COVID-19 therapeutic options. Due to the lack of clinical evidence for the therapeutic benefits and certain serious side effects of repurposed antivirals, the search for an antiviral drug against SARS-CoV-2 with fewer side effects continues. In recent years, numerous studies have included antiviral chemicals from a variety of plant species. A better knowledge of the possible antiviral natural products and their mechanism against SARS-CoV-2 will help to develop stronger and more targeted direct-acting antiviral agents. The aim of the present study was to compile the current data on potential plant metabolites that can be investigated in COVID-19 drug discovery and development. This review represents a collection of plant secondary metabolites and their mode of action against SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Alipour
- Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Zarezadeh
- Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Ghotbi-Ravandi
- Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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Sun R, Zhou Y, Fang Y, Qin Y, Zheng Y, Jiang L. DNA aptamer-linked sandwich structure enhanced SPRi sensor for rapid, sensitive, and quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:1667-1677. [PMID: 38342787 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05172-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
The harm and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of fast, sensitive, and cost-effective virus detection methods. In this study, we developed a DNA aptamer sensor using nanoparticle-enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) technology to achieve efficient labeling-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 S protein. We used the same DNA aptamer to modify the surface of the SPRi sensor chip and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), respectively, for capturing target analytes and amplifying signals, achieving ideal results while greatly reducing costs and simplifying the preparation process. The SPRi sensing method exhibits a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9926) in the concentration range of 1-20 nM before adding AuNPs to amplify the signal, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.32 nM. After amplifying the signal, there is a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9829) between the concentration range of 25-1000 pM, with a LOD of 5.99 pM. The simulation results also verified the effectiveness of AuNPs in improving SPRi signal response. The SPRi sensor has the advantage of short detection time and can complete the detection within 10 min. In addition, the specificity and repeatability of this method can achieve excellent results. This is the first study to simultaneously capture a viral marker protein and amplify the signal using polyadenylic acid (polyA)-modified DNA aptamers on the SPR platform. This scheme can be used as a fast and inexpensive detection method for diagnosis at the point of care (POC) to combat current and future epidemics caused by the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rengang Sun
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Yadong Zhou
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| | - Yunzhu Fang
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Yirui Qin
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Yekai Zheng
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Li Jiang
- College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
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Gamero-de-Luna EJ, Sánchez-Jaén MR. [Genetic factors associated with long COVID]. Semergen 2024; 50:102187. [PMID: 38277732 DOI: 10.1016/j.semerg.2023.102187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The variability in expression and evolution of COVID is not completely explained by clinical factors. In fact, genetic factors play an important role. Moreover, it is unknown whether the genetic factor that contribute to susceptibility and severity are also involved in the onset and evolution of long-COVID. The objective of this review is to gather information from literature to understand which genetic factors are involved in the onset of persistent COVID. MATERIAL AND METHODS Systematic review in PubMed and bioRxiv and medRxiv repositories based on MeSH-descriptors and MeSH-terms related to COVID and genetic factors. Using these terms 2715 articles were pooled. An initial screening performed by authors independently, selected 205 articles of interest. A final deeper screening a total of 85 articles were chosen for complete reading and summarized in this review. RESULTS Although ACE2 and TMPSS6 are involved in COVID susceptibility, their involvement in long-COVID has not been found. On the other hand, the severity of the disease and the onset of long-COVID has been associated with different genes involved in the inflammatory and immune response. Particularly interesting has been the association found with the FOXP4 locus. CONCLUSIONS Although studies on long-COVID are insufficient to fully comprehend the cause, it is clear that the current identified genetic factors do not fully explain the progression and onset of long-COVID. Other factors such as polygenic action, pleiotropic genes, the microbiota and epigenetic changes must be considered and studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Gamero-de-Luna
- Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Centro de Salud El Juncal, Sevilla, España; GT Medicina Genómica Personalizada y Enfermedades Raras, SEMERGEN, España.
| | - M R Sánchez-Jaén
- GT Medicina Genómica Personalizada y Enfermedades Raras, SEMERGEN, España; Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Centro de Salud de Fabero, León, España
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Oliveira BR, Nehlmeier I, Kempf AM, Venugopalan V, Rehders M, Ceniza MEP, Cavalcanti PADTPV, Hoffmann M, Pöhlmann S, Brix K. Cytoskeletal β-tubulin and cysteine cathepsin L deregulation by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interaction with the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y. Biochimie 2024:S0300-9084(24)00044-0. [PMID: 38432290 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 mainly infects the respiratory tract but can also target other organs, including the central nervous system. While it was recently shown that cells of the blood-brain-barrier are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, it remains debated whether neurons can be infected. In this study, we demonstrate that vesicular stomatitis virus particles pseudotyped with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants WT, Alpha, Delta and Omicron enter the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y. Cell biological analyses of the pseudo-virus treated cultures showed marked alterations in microtubules of SH-SY5Y cells. Because the changes in β-tubulin occurred in most cells, but only few were infected, we further asked whether interaction of the cells with spike protein might be sufficient to cause molecular and structural changes. For this, SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with trimeric spike proteins for time intervals of up to 24 h. CellProfiler™-based image analyses revealed changes in the intensities of microtubule staining in spike protein-incubated cells. Furthermore, expression of the spike protein-processing protease cathepsin L was found to be up-regulated by wild type, Alpha and Delta spike protein pseudotypes and cathepsin L was found to be secreted from spike protein-treated cells. We conclude that the mere interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 with neuronal cells can affect cellular architecture and proteolytic capacities. The molecular mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induced cytoskeletal changes in neuronal cells remain elusive and require future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo R Oliveira
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Inga Nehlmeier
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Amy Madeleine Kempf
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | - Maren Rehders
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Marianne E P Ceniza
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
| | | | - Markus Hoffmann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Klaudia Brix
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
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Eltayeb A, Al-Sarraj F, Alharbi M, Albiheyri R, Mattar E, Abu Zeid IM, Bouback TA, Bamagoos A, Aljohny BO, Uversky VN, Redwan EM. Overview of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 260:129523. [PMID: 38232879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV in 2003, researchers worldwide have been toiling away at deciphering this virus's biological intricacies. In line with other known coronaviruses, the nucleocapsid (N) protein is an important structural component of SARS-CoV. As a result, much emphasis has been placed on characterizing this protein. Independent research conducted by a variety of laboratories has clearly demonstrated the primary function of this protein, which is to encapsidate the viral genome. Furthermore, various accounts indicate that this particular protein disrupts diverse intracellular pathways. Such observations imply its vital role in regulating the virus as well. The opening segment of this review will expound upon these distinct characteristics succinctly exhibited by the N protein. Additionally, it has been suggested that the N protein possesses diagnostic and vaccine capabilities when dealing with SARS-CoV. In light of this fact, we will be reviewing some recent headway in the use cases for N protein toward clinical purposes within this article's concluding segments. This forward movement pertains to both developments of COVID-19-oriented therapeutic targets as well as diagnostic measures. The strides made by medical researchers offer encouragement, knowing they are heading toward a brighter future combating global pandemic situations such as these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltayeb
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Al-Sarraj
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Alharbi
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raed Albiheyri
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ehab Mattar
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Isam M Abu Zeid
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Princess Dr. Najla Bint Saud Al-Saud Center for Excellence Research in Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamer A Bouback
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Princess Dr. Najla Bint Saud Al-Saud Center for Excellence Research in Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Atif Bamagoos
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bassam O Aljohny
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Elrashdy M Redwan
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Therapeutic and Protective Proteins Laboratory, Protein Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City for Scientific Research and Technology Applications, New Borg EL-Arab, 21934 Alexandria, Egypt.
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45
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Yao Z, Zhang L, Duan Y, Tang X, Lu J. Molecular insights into the adaptive evolution of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. J Infect 2024; 88:106121. [PMID: 38367704 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has substantially damaged the global economy and human health. The spike (S) protein of coronaviruses plays a pivotal role in viral entry by binding to host cell receptors. Additionally, it acts as the primary target for neutralizing antibodies in those infected and is the central focus for currently utilized or researched vaccines. During the virus's adaptation to the human host, the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 has undergone significant evolution. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, new mutations have arisen and vanished, giving rise to distinctive amino acid profiles within variant of concern strains of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, many of these changes in the S protein have been positively selected, leading to substantial alterations in viral characteristics, such as heightened transmissibility and immune evasion capabilities. This review aims to provide an overview of our current understanding of the structural implications associated with key amino acid changes in the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. These research findings shed light on the intricate and dynamic nature of viral evolution, underscoring the importance of continuous monitoring and analysis of viral genomes. Through these molecular-level investigations, we can attain deeper insights into the virus's adaptive evolution, offering valuable guidance for designing vaccines and developing antiviral drugs to combat the ever-evolving viral threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuocheng Yao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- College of Fishery, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yuange Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaolu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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46
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Liu HY, Hu Y, Yu C, Wang ZG, Liu SL, Pang DW. Quantitative single-virus tracking for revealing the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 fusion with plasma membrane. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:502-511. [PMID: 37993331 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Viral envelope fusion with the host plasma membrane (PM) for genome release is a hallmark step in the life cycle of many enveloped viruses. This process is regulated by a complex network of biomolecules on the PM, but robust tools to precisely elucidate the dynamic mechanisms of virus-PM fusion events are still lacking. Here, we developed a quantitative single-virus tracking approach based on highly efficient dual-color labelling of viruses and batch trajectory analysis to achieve the spatiotemporal quantification of fusion events. This approach allows us to comprehensively analyze the membrane fusion mechanism utilized by pseudotyped severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the single-virus level and precisely elucidate how the relevant biomolecules synergistically regulate the fusion process. Our results revealed that SARS-CoV-2 may promote the formation of supersaturated clusters of cholesterol to facilitate the initiation of the membrane fusion process and accelerate the viral genome release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yusi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Cong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Shu-Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China.
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China.
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47
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Gentile D, Chiummiento L, Santarsiere A, Funicello M, Lupattelli P, Rescifina A, Venuti A, Piperno A, Sciortino MT, Pennisi R. Targeting Viral and Cellular Cysteine Proteases for Treatment of New Variants of SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2024; 16:338. [PMID: 38543704 PMCID: PMC10976049 DOI: 10.3390/v16030338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants caused the persistence of the COVID-19 epidemic and challenged the effectiveness of the existing vaccines. The viral proteases are the most attractive targets for developing antiviral drugs. In this scenario, our study explores the use of HIV-1 protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. An in silico screening of a library of HIV-1 proteases identified four anti-HIV compounds able to interact with the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, in vitro studies were designed to evaluate their potential antiviral effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2. We employed pseudovirus technology to simulate, in a highly safe manner, the adsorption of the alpha (α-SARS-CoV-2) and omicron (ο-SARS-CoV-2) variants of SARS-CoV-2 and study the inhibitory mechanism of the selected compounds for cell-virus interaction. The results reported a mild activity against the viral proteases 3CLpro and PLpro, but efficient inhibitory effects on the internalization of both variants mediated by cathepsin B/L. Our findings provide insights into the feasibility of using drugs exhibiting antiviral effects for other viruses against the viral and host SARS-CoV-2 proteases required for entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Gentile
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia Chiummiento
- Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Alessandro Santarsiere
- Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Maria Funicello
- Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Paolo Lupattelli
- Department of Chimica, Sapienza University of Roma, p. le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V. le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Assunta Venuti
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, 69366 LYON CEDEX 07, France
| | - Anna Piperno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Sciortino
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Rosamaria Pennisi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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48
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Lotke R, Petersen M, Sauter D. Restriction of Viral Glycoprotein Maturation by Cellular Protease Inhibitors. Viruses 2024; 16:332. [PMID: 38543698 PMCID: PMC10975521 DOI: 10.3390/v16030332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The human genome is estimated to encode more than 500 proteases performing a wide range of important physiological functions. They digest proteins in our food, determine the activity of hormones, induce cell death and regulate blood clotting, for example. During viral infection, however, some proteases can switch sides and activate viral glycoproteins, allowing the entry of virions into new target cells and the spread of infection. To reduce unwanted effects, multiple protease inhibitors regulate the proteolytic processing of self and non-self proteins. This review summarizes our current knowledge of endogenous protease inhibitors, which are known to limit viral replication by interfering with the proteolytic activation of viral glycoproteins. We describe the underlying molecular mechanisms and highlight the diverse strategies by which protease inhibitors reduce virion infectivity. We also provide examples of how viruses evade the restriction imposed by protease inhibitors. Finally, we briefly outline how cellular protease inhibitors can be modified and exploited for therapeutic purposes. In summary, this review aims to summarize our current understanding of cellular protease inhibitors as components of our immune response to a variety of viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Sauter
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Hillenbrand M, Esslinger C, Seidenberg J, Weber M, Zingg A, Townsend C, Eicher B, Rutkauskaite J, Riese P, Guzman CA, Fischer K, Schmitt S. Fast-Track Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-Neutralizing Antibodies from Human B Cells by Direct Functional Screening. Viruses 2024; 16:339. [PMID: 38543705 PMCID: PMC10975424 DOI: 10.3390/v16030339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, rapid development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies are crucial to guarantee a quick return to the status quo of society. In early 2020, we deployed our droplet microfluidic single-cell-based platform DROPZYLLA® for the generation of cognate antibody repertoires of convalescent COVID-19 donors. Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies was performed upon display of antibodies on the surface of HEK293T cells by antigen-specific sorting using binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and absence of binding to huACE2 as the sort criteria. This efficiently yielded antibodies within 3-6 weeks, of which up to 100% were neutralizing. One of these, MTX-COVAB, displaying low picomolar neutralization IC50 of SARS-CoV-2 and with a neutralization potency on par with the Regeneron antibodies, was selected for GMP manufacturing and clinical development in June 2020. MTX-COVAB showed strong efficacy in vivo and neutralized all identified clinically relevant variants of SARS-CoV-2 at the time of its selection. MTX-COVAB completed GMP manufacturing by the end of 2020, but clinical development was stopped when the Omicron variant emerged, a variant that proved to be detrimental to all monoclonal antibodies already approved. The present study describes the capabilities of the DROPZYLLA® platform to identify antibodies of high virus-neutralizing capacity rapidly and directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hillenbrand
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Christoph Esslinger
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Jemima Seidenberg
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Marcel Weber
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Andreas Zingg
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Catherine Townsend
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Barbara Eicher
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Justina Rutkauskaite
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Peggy Riese
- Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (P.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Carlos A. Guzman
- Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (P.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Karsten Fischer
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Simone Schmitt
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
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50
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Lam FW, Brown CA, Ronca SE. Recombinant Rod Domain of Vimentin Reduces SARS-CoV-2 Viral Replication by Blocking Spike Protein-ACE2 Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2477. [PMID: 38473724 PMCID: PMC10931652 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is the primary preventive intervention, there are still few antiviral therapies available, with current drugs decreasing viral replication once the virus is intracellular. Adding novel drugs to target additional points in the viral life cycle is paramount in preventing future pandemics. The purpose of this study was to create and test a novel protein to decrease SARS-CoV-2 replication. We created the recombinant rod domain of vimentin (rhRod) in E. coli and used biolayer interferometry to measure its affinity to the SARS-CoV-2 S1S2 spike protein and the ability to block the SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 interaction. We performed plaque assays to measure rhRod's effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells. Finally, we measured lung inflammation in SARS-CoV-2-exposed K18-hACE transgenic mice given intranasal and intraperitoneal rhRod. We found that rhRod has a high affinity for the S1S2 protein with a strong ability to block S1S2-ACE2 interactions. The daily addition of rhRod decreased viral replication in Vero E6 cells starting at 48 h at concentrations >1 µM. Finally, SARS-CoV-2-infected mice receiving rhRod had decreased lung inflammation compared to mock-treated animals. Based on our data, rhRod decreases SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro and lung inflammation in vivo. Future studies will need to evaluate the protective effects of rhRod against additional viral variants and identify the optimal dosing scheme that both prevents viral replication and host lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fong Wilson Lam
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA (S.E.R.)
- Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cameron August Brown
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA (S.E.R.)
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Elizabeth Ronca
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA (S.E.R.)
- William T. Shearer Center for Human Immunobiology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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