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Hansman GS, Kher G, Svirina AD, Tame JRH, Hartley-Tassell L, Irie H, Haselhorst T, von Itzstein M, Rudd PA, Pancera M. Development of a broad-spectrum therapeutic Fc-nanobody for human noroviruses. J Virol 2024; 98:e0070724. [PMID: 38953655 PMCID: PMC11264634 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00707-24] [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: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Human norovirus was discovered more than five decades ago and is a widespread cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. There are no approved vaccines or antivirals currently available. However, norovirus inhibitors, including capsid-specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and nanobodies, have recently shown promising results. Several Mabs and nanobodies were found to inhibit norovirus replication using a human intestinal enteroid (HIE) culture system and/or could block norovirus attachment to histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) co-factors. In our pursuit to develop a single broad-spectrum norovirus therapeutic, we continued our analysis and development of a cross-reactive and HBGA interfering nanobody (NB26). To improve NB26 binding capacity and therapeutic potential, we conjugated NB26 onto a human IgG Fc domain (Fc-NB26). We confirmed that Fc-NB26 cross-reacts with genetically diverse GII genotype capsid protruding (P) domains (GII.8, GII.14, GII.17, GII.24, GII.26, and GII.NA1) using a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, X-ray crystallography structures of these P domains and structures of other GII genotypes reveal that the NB26 binding site is largely conserved, validating its broad reactivity. We showed that Fc-NB26 has ~100-fold higher affinity toward the norovirus P domain compared to native NB26. We also found that both NB26 and Fc-NB26 neutralize human norovirus replication in the HIE culture system. Furthermore, the mode of inhibition confirmed that like NB26, Fc-NB26 caused norovirus particle disassembly and aggregation. Overall, these new findings demonstrate that structural modifications to nanobodies can improve their therapeutic potential.IMPORTANCEDeveloping vaccines and antivirals against norovirus remains a challenge, mainly due to the constant genetic and antigenic evolution. Moreover, re-infection with genetically related and/or antigenic variants is not uncommon. We further developed our leading norovirus nanobody (NB26) that indirectly interfered with norovirus binding to HBGAs, by converting NB26 into a dimeric Fc-linked Nanobody (Fc-NB26). We found that Fc-NB26 had improved binding affinity and neutralization capacity compared with native NB26. Using X-ray crystallography, we showed this nanobody engaged highly conserved capsid residues among genetically diverse noroviruses. Development of such broadly reactive potent therapeutic nanobodies delivered as a slow-releasing prophylactic could be of exceptional value for norovirus outbreaks, especially for the prevention or treatment of severe acute gastroenteritis in high-risk groups such as the young, elderly, and immunocompromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant S. Hansman
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gargi Kher
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Jeremy R. H. Tame
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Lauren Hartley-Tassell
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hiro Irie
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas Haselhorst
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark von Itzstein
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Penny A. Rudd
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marie Pancera
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Hayashi T, Kobayashi S, Hirano J, Murakami K. Human norovirus cultivation systems and their use in antiviral research. J Virol 2024; 98:e0166323. [PMID: 38470106 PMCID: PMC11019851 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01663-23] [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] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne diseases, affecting all age groups. Despite its clinical needs, no approved antiviral therapies are available. Since the discovery of HuNoV in 1972, studies on anti-norovirals, mechanism of HuNoV infection, viral inactivation, etc., have been hampered by the lack of a robust laboratory-based cultivation system for HuNoV. A recent breakthrough in the development of HuNoV cultivation systems has opened opportunities for researchers to investigate HuNoV biology in the context of de novo HuNoV infections. A tissue stem cell-derived human intestinal organoid/enteroid (HIO) culture system is one of those that supports HuNoV replication reproducibly and, to our knowledge, is most widely distributed to laboratories worldwide to study HuNoV and develop therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes recently developed HuNoV cultivation systems, including HIO, and their use in antiviral studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Hayashi
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sakura Kobayashi
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junki Hirano
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kosuke Murakami
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
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Lactobacilli as a Vector for Delivery of Nanobodies against Norovirus Infection. Pharmaceutics 2022; 15:pharmaceutics15010063. [PMID: 36678692 PMCID: PMC9863548 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010063] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive administration of neutralizing antibodies (Abs) is an attractive strategy for the control of gastrointestinal infections. However, an unanswered practical concern is the need to assure the stability of sufficient amounts of orally administered neutralizing Abs against intestinal pathogens (e.g., norovirus) in the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. To this end, we expressed a single-domain Ab (VHH, nanobody) against norovirus on the cell surface of Lactobacillus, a natural and beneficial commensal component of the gut microbiome. First, we used intestinal epithelial cells generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells to confirm that VHH 1E4 showed neutralizing activity against GII.17 norovirus. We then expressed VHH 1E4 as a cell-wall-anchored form in Lactobacillus paracasei BL23. Flow cytometry confirmed the expression of VHH 1E4 on the surface of lactobacilli, and L. paracasei that expressed VHH 1E4 inhibited the replication of GII.17 norovirus in vitro. We then orally administered VHH 1E4-expressing L. paracasei BL23 to germ-free BALB/c mice and confirmed the presence of lactobacilli with neutralizing activity in the intestine for at least 10 days after administration. Thus, cell-wall-anchored VHH-displaying lactobacilli are attractive oral nanobody deliver vectors for passive immunization against norovirus infection.
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Moliner-Morro A, McInerney GM, Hanke L. Nanobodies in the limelight: Multifunctional tools in the fight against viruses. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 35579613 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are natural antivirals generated by the vertebrate immune system in response to viral infection or vaccination. Unsurprisingly, they are also key molecules in the virologist's molecular toolbox. With new developments in methods for protein engineering, protein functionalization and application, smaller antibody-derived fragments are moving in focus. Among these, camelid-derived nanobodies play a prominent role. Nanobodies can replace full-sized antibodies in most applications and enable new possible applications for which conventional antibodies are challenging to use. Here we review the versatile nature of nanobodies, discuss their promise as antiviral therapeutics, for diagnostics, and their suitability as research tools to uncover novel aspects of viral infection and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Moliner-Morro
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gerald M McInerney
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Sasou A, Yuki Y, Kurokawa S, Sato S, Goda Y, Uchida M, Matsumoto N, Sagara H, Watanabe Y, Kuroda M, Sakon N, Sugiura K, Nakahashi-Ouchida R, Ushijima H, Fujihashi K, Kiyono H. Development of Antibody-Fragment-Producing Rice for Neutralization of Human Norovirus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:639953. [PMID: 33868338 PMCID: PMC8047661 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.639953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human norovirus is the leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in people of all ages worldwide. Currently, no licensed norovirus vaccine, pharmaceutical drug, or therapy is available for the control of norovirus infection. Here, we used a rice transgenic system, MucoRice, to produce a variable domain of a llama heavy-chain antibody fragment (VHH) specific for human norovirus (MucoRice-VHH). VHH is a small heat- and acid-stable protein that resembles a monoclonal antibody. Consequently, VHHs have become attractive and useful antibodies (Abs) for oral immunotherapy against intestinal infectious diseases. MucoRice-VHH constructs were generated at high yields in rice seeds by using an overexpression system with RNA interference to suppress the production of the major rice endogenous storage proteins. The average production levels of monomeric VHH (7C6) to GII.4 norovirus and heterodimeric VHH (7C6-1E4) to GII.4 and GII.17 noroviruses in rice seed were 0.54 and 0.28% (w/w), respectively, as phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-soluble VHHs. By using a human norovirus propagation system in human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), we demonstrated the high neutralizing activity of MucoRice expressing monomeric VHH (7C6) against GII.4 norovirus and of heterodimeric VHH (7C6-1E4) against both GII.4 and GII.17 noroviruses. In addition, MucoRice-VHH (7C6-1E4) retained neutralizing activity even after heat treatment at 90°C for 20 min. These results build a fundamental platform for the continued development of MucoRice-VHH heterodimer as a candidate for oral immunotherapy and for prophylaxis against GII.4 and GII.17 noroviruses in not only healthy adults and children but also immunocompromised patients and the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Sasou
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Yuki
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Mucosal Vaccines, International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiho Kurokawa
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shintaro Sato
- Division of Mucosal Vaccines, International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Mucosal Vaccine Project, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Immunology and Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Goda
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masao Uchida
- Drug Discovery Research, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naomi Matsumoto
- Mucosal Vaccine Project, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sagara
- Medical Proteomics Laboratory, The Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Watanabe
- Medical Proteomics Laboratory, The Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaharu Kuroda
- The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naomi Sakon
- Department of Microbiology, Osaka Institute of Public Health, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kotomi Sugiura
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rika Nakahashi-Ouchida
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Mucosal Vaccines, International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ushijima
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohtaro Fujihashi
- Division of Clinical Vaccinology, International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Hiroshi Kiyono
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, IMSUT Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Mucosal Vaccines, International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Chiba University – University of California San Diego Center for Mucosal Immunology, Allergy, and Vaccine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Alcohol abrogates human norovirus infectivity in a pH-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15878. [PMID: 32985508 PMCID: PMC7522253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72609-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol-based disinfectants are widely used for the sanitization of microorganisms, especially those that cause infectious diseases, including viruses. However, since the germicidal mechanism of alcohol is lipolysis, alcohol-based disinfectants appear to have a minimal effect on non-enveloped viruses, such as noroviruses. Because there is no cultivation method for human norovirus (HuNoV) in vitro, murine norovirus and feline calicivirus have been used as surrogates for HuNoV to analyze the efficacy of disinfectant regents. Therefore, whether these disinfectants and their conditions are effective against HuNoVs remain unknown. In this study, we report that ethanol or isopropanol alone can sufficiently suppress GII.4 genotype HuNoV replication in human iPSC-derived intestinal epithelial cells. Additionally, pH adjustments and salting-out may contribute toward the virucidal effect of alcohol against other HuNoV genotypes and cancel the impediment of organic substance contamination, respectively. Therefore, similar to sodium hypochlorite, alcohol-based disinfectants containing electrolytes can be used for HuNoV inactivation.
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