1
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Gagne M, Flynn BJ, Honeycutt CC, Flebbe DR, Andrew SF, Provost SJ, McCormick L, Van Ry A, McCarthy E, Todd JPM, Bao S, Teng IT, Marciano S, Rudich Y, Li C, Jain S, Wali B, Pessaint L, Dodson A, Cook A, Lewis MG, Andersen H, Zahradník J, Suthar MS, Nason MC, Foulds KE, Kwong PD, Roederer M, Schreiber G, Seder RA, Douek DC. Variant-proof high affinity ACE2 antagonist limits SARS-CoV-2 replication in upper and lower airways. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6894. [PMID: 39134521 PMCID: PMC11319446 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51046-w] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has the capacity to evolve mutations that escape vaccine- and infection-acquired immunity and antiviral drugs. A variant-agnostic therapeutic agent that protects against severe disease without putting selective pressure on the virus would thus be a valuable biomedical tool that would maintain its efficacy despite the ongoing emergence of new variants. Here, we challenge male rhesus macaques with SARS-CoV-2 Delta-the most pathogenic variant in a highly susceptible animal model. At the time of challenge, we also treat the macaques with aerosolized RBD-62, a protein developed through multiple rounds of in vitro evolution of SARS-CoV-2 RBD to acquire 1000-fold enhanced ACE2 binding affinity. RBD-62 treatment equivalently suppresses virus replication in both upper and lower airways, a phenomenon not previously observed with clinically approved vaccines. Importantly, RBD-62 does not block the development of virus-specific T- and B-cell responses and does not elicit anti-drug immunity. These data provide proof-of-concept that RBD-62 can prevent severe disease from a highly virulent variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Gagne
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara J Flynn
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Cole Honeycutt
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dillon R Flebbe
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shayne F Andrew
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Samantha J Provost
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lauren McCormick
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth McCarthy
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John-Paul M Todd
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Saran Bao
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - I-Ting Teng
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shir Marciano
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yinon Rudich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Chunlin Li
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shilpi Jain
- Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bushra Wali
- Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jiří Zahradník
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mehul S Suthar
- Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martha C Nason
- Biostatistics Research Branch, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kathryn E Foulds
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario Roederer
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gideon Schreiber
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Robert A Seder
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Daniel C Douek
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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2
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Chan JFW, Yuan S, Chu H, Sridhar S, Yuen KY. COVID-19 drug discovery and treatment options. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:391-407. [PMID: 38622352 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01036-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality, and serious social and economic disruptions worldwide. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated older individuals with underlying diseases are especially prone to severe disease. In patients with non-fatal disease, long COVID affecting multiple body systems may persist for months. Unlike SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which have either been mitigated or remained geographically restricted, SARS-CoV-2 has disseminated globally and is likely to continue circulating in humans with possible emergence of new variants that may render vaccines less effective. Thus, safe, effective and readily available COVID-19 therapeutics are urgently needed. In this Review, we summarize the major drug discovery approaches, preclinical antiviral evaluation models, representative virus-targeting and host-targeting therapeutic options, and key therapeutics currently in clinical use for COVID-19. Preparedness against future coronavirus pandemics relies not only on effective vaccines but also on broad-spectrum antivirals targeting conserved viral components or universal host targets, and new therapeutics that can precisely modulate the immune response during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Siddharth Sridhar
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
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3
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Ameratunga R, Jordan A, Lehnert K, Leung E, Mears ER, Snell R, Steele R, Woon ST. SARS-CoV-2 evolution has increased resistance to monoclonal antibodies and first-generation COVID-19 vaccines: Is there a future therapeutic role for soluble ACE2 receptors for COVID-19? Antiviral Res 2024; 227:105894. [PMID: 38677595 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105894] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused calamitous health, economic and societal consequences. Although several COVID-19 vaccines have received full authorization for use, global deployment has faced political, financial and logistical challenges. The efficacy of first-generation COVID-19 vaccines is waning and breakthrough infections are allowing ongoing transmission and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy relies on a functional immune system. Despite receiving three primary doses and three or more heterologous boosters, some immunocompromised patients may not be adequately protected by COVID-19 vaccines and remain vulnerable to severe disease. The evolution of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has also resulted in the rapid obsolescence of monoclonal antibodies. Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors has produced inconsistent results. New drugs such as Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) are beyond the reach of low- and middle-income countries. With widespread use of Paxlovid, it is likely nirmatrelvir-resistant clades of SARS-CoV-2 will emerge in the future. There is thus an urgent need for new effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatments. The in vitro efficacy of soluble ACE2 against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants including omicron (B.1.1.529), was recently described using a competitive ELISA assay as a surrogate marker for virus neutralization. This indicates soluble wild-type ACE2 receptors are likely to be resistant to viral evolution. Nasal and inhaled treatment with soluble ACE2 receptors has abrogated severe disease in animal models of COVID-19. There is an urgent need for clinical trials of this new class of antiviral therapeutics, which could complement vaccines and Paxlovid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Ameratunga
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Auckland Hospital, Park Rd, Grafton, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Virology and Immunology, Auckland Hospital, Park Rd, Grafton, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Anthony Jordan
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Auckland Hospital, Park Rd, Grafton, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Klaus Lehnert
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Euphemia Leung
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Emily R Mears
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Russell Snell
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Steele
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Auckland Hospital, Park Rd, Grafton, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - See-Tarn Woon
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Auckland Hospital, Park Rd, Grafton, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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4
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Dick JK, Hicks D, Krishna VD, Sangala JA, Zandstra BT, Baehr C, Verbeek JS, Cragg MS, Cheeran MCJ, Pravetoni M, Hart GT. ACE2 decoy Fc-fusions and bi-specific killer engager (BiKEs) require Fc engagement for in vivo efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.20.599956. [PMID: 38948747 PMCID: PMC11212978 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.20.599956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to evolve over time necessitating the adaptation of vaccines to maintain efficacy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 were a key line of defense for unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals. However, these mAbs are now ineffective against current SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we tested three aspects of αSARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. First, we tested whether Fc engagement is necessary for in vivo clearance of SARS-CoV-2. Secondly, we tested bi-specific killer engagers (BiKEs) that simultaneously engage SARS-CoV-2 and a specific Fc receptor. Benefits of these engagers include the ease of manufacturing, stability, more cell-specific targeting, and high affinity binding to Fc receptors. Using both mAbs and BiKEs, we found that both neutralization and Fc receptor engagement were necessary for effective SARS-CoV-2 clearance. Thirdly, due to ACE2 being necessary for viral entry, ACE2 will maintain binding to SARS-CoV-2 despite viral evolution. Therefore, we used an ACE2 decoy Fc-fusion or BiKE, instead of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody sequence, as a potential therapeutic that would withstand viral evolution. We found that the ACE2 decoy approach also required Fc receptor engagement and, unlike traditional neutralizing antibodies against specific variants, enabled the clearance of two distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants. These data show the importance of Fc engagement for mAbs, the utility of BiKEs as therapies for infectious disease, and the in vivo effectiveness of the ACE2 decoy approach. With further studies, we predict combining neutralization, the cellular response, and this ACE2 decoy approach will benefit individuals with ineffective antibody levels. Abbreviations ACE2, scFv, mAb, BiKE, COVID-19, Fc, CD16, CD32b, CD64, d.p.i. Key points With equal dosing, both neutralization and Fc engagement are necessary for the optimal efficacy of in vivo antibodies and bi-specific killer engagers (BiKEs) against SARS-CoV-2. BiKEs can clear SARS-CoV-2 virus and protect against severe infection in the hACE2-K18 mouse model. ACE2 decoys as part of Fc-fusions or BiKEs provide in vivo clearance of two disparate SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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5
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Hwang J, Kim BK, Moon S, Park W, Kim KW, Yoon JH, Oh H, Jung S, Park Y, Kim S, Kim M, Kim S, Jung Y, Park M, Kim JH, Jung ST, Kim SJ, Kim YS, Chung WJ, Song MS, Kweon DH. Conversion of Host Cell Receptor into Virus Destructor by Immunodisc to Neutralize Diverse SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302803. [PMID: 38329411 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302803] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The decreasing efficacy of antiviral drugs due to viral mutations highlights the challenge of developing a single agent targeting multiple strains. Using host cell viral receptors as competitive inhibitors is promising, but their low potency and membrane-bound nature have limited this strategy. In this study, the authors show that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in a planar membrane patch can effectively neutralize all tested severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACE2-incorporated membrane patch implemented using nanodiscs replicated the spike-mediated membrane fusion process outside the host cell, resulting in virus lysis, extracellular RNA release, and potent antiviral activity. While neutralizing antibodies became ineffective as the SARS-CoV-2 evolved to better penetrate host cells the ACE2-incorporated nanodiscs became more potent, highlighting the advantages of using receptor-incorporated nanodiscs for antiviral purposes. ACE2-incorporated immunodisc, an Fc fusion nanodisc developed in this study, completely protected humanized mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 after prolonged retention in the airways. This study demonstrates that the incorporation of viral receptors into immunodisc transforms the entry gate into a potent virucide for all current and future variants, a concept that can be extended to different viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaehyeon Hwang
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Beom Kyu Kim
- College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokoh Moon
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonbeom Park
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Won Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hyeon Yoon
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunseok Oh
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- Research Center, Mvrix Inc., Anyang, 14058, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwon Jung
- Research Center, Mvrix Inc., Anyang, 14058, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngseo Park
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhyun Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Misoo Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Soomin Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghun Jung
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Myungseo Park
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Ho Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jick Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Sung Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Jae Chung
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Suk Song
- College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hyuk Kweon
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- Research Center, Mvrix Inc., Anyang, 14058, Republic of Korea
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Guo H, Ha S, Botten JW, Xu K, Zhang N, An Z, Strohl WR, Shiver JW, Fu TM. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron: Viral Evolution, Immune Evasion, and Alternative Durable Therapeutic Strategies. Viruses 2024; 16:697. [PMID: 38793580 PMCID: PMC11125895 DOI: 10.3390/v16050697] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus has gained dominance worldwide, its continual evolution with unpredictable mutations and patterns has revoked all authorized immunotherapeutics. Rapid viral evolution has also necessitated several rounds of vaccine updates in order to provide adequate immune protection. It remains imperative to understand how Omicron evolves into different subvariants and causes immune escape as this could help reevaluate the current intervention strategies mostly implemented in the clinics as emergency measures to counter the pandemic and, importantly, develop new solutions. Here, we provide a review focusing on the major events of Omicron viral evolution, including the features of spike mutation that lead to immune evasion against monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy and vaccination, and suggest alternative durable options such as the ACE2-based experimental therapies superior to mAbs to address this unprecedented evolution of Omicron virus. In addition, this type of unique ACE2-based virus-trapping molecules can counter all zoonotic SARS coronaviruses, either from unknown animal hosts or from established wild-life reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2, and even seasonal alpha coronavirus NL63 that depends on human ACE2 for infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Guo
- IGM Biosciences, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Sha Ha
- IGM Biosciences, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Jason W. Botten
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Kai Xu
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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7
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Arevalo-Romero JA, Chingaté-López SM, Camacho BA, Alméciga-Díaz CJ, Ramirez-Segura CA. Next-generation treatments: Immunotherapy and advanced therapies for COVID-19. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26423. [PMID: 38434363 PMCID: PMC10907543 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26423] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in 2019 following prior outbreaks of coronaviruses like SARS and MERS in recent decades, underscoring their high potential of infectivity in humans. Insights from previous outbreaks of SARS and MERS have played a significant role in developing effective strategies to mitigate the global impact of SARS-CoV-2. As of January 7, 2024, there have been 774,075,242 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. To date, 13.59 billion vaccine doses have been administered, and there have been 7,012,986 documented fatalities (https://www.who.int/) Despite significant progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 challenges human defenses, presenting ongoing global challenges. The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 lineages, shaped by mutation and recombination processes, has led to successive waves of infections. This scenario reveals the need for next-generation vaccines as a crucial requirement for ensuring ongoing protection against SARS-CoV-2. This demand calls for formulations that trigger a robust adaptive immune response without leading the acute inflammation linked with the infection. Key mutations detected in the Spike protein, a critical target for neutralizing antibodies and vaccine design -specifically within the Receptor Binding Domain region of Omicron variant lineages (B.1.1.529), currently dominant worldwide, have intensified concerns due to their association with immunity evasion from prior vaccinations and infections. As the world deals with this evolving threat, the narrative extends to the realm of emerging variants, each displaying new mutations with implications that remain largely misunderstood. Notably, the JN.1 Omicron lineage is gaining global prevalence, and early findings suggest it stands among the immune-evading variants, a characteristic attributed to its mutation L455S. Moreover, the detrimental consequences of the novel emergence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages bear a particularly critical impact on immunocompromised individuals and older adults. Immunocompromised individuals face challenges such as suboptimal responses to COVID-19 vaccines, rendering them more susceptible to severe disease. Similarly, older adults have an increased risk of severe disease and the presence of comorbid conditions, find themselves at a heightened vulnerability to develop COVID-19 disease. Thus, recognizing these intricate factors is crucial for effectively tailoring public health strategies to protect these vulnerable populations. In this context, this review aims to describe, analyze, and discuss the current progress of the next-generation treatments encompassing immunotherapeutic approaches and advanced therapies emerging as complements that will offer solutions to counter the disadvantages of the existing options. Preliminary outcomes show that these strategies target the virus and address the immunomodulatory responses associated with COVID-19. Furthermore, the capacity to promote tissue repair has been demonstrated, which can be particularly noteworthy for immunocompromised individuals who stand as vulnerable actors in the global landscape of coronavirus infections. The emerging next-generation treatments possess broader potential, offering protection against a wide range of variants and enhancing the ability to counter the impact of the constant evolution of the virus. Furthermore, advanced therapies are projected as potential treatment alternatives for managing Chronic Post-COVID-19 syndromeand addressing its associated long-term complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Andrea Arevalo-Romero
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Instituto de Errores Innatos del Metabolismo, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 110231, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Sandra M. Chingaté-López
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Bernardo Armando Camacho
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Instituto de Errores Innatos del Metabolismo, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 110231, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Cesar A. Ramirez-Segura
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
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8
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Ozawa T, Ikeda Y, Chen L, Suzuki R, Hoshino A, Noguchi A, Kita S, Anraku Y, Igarashi E, Saga Y, Inasaki N, Taminishi S, Sasaki J, Kirita Y, Fukuhara H, Maenaka K, Hashiguchi T, Fukuhara T, Hirabayashi K, Tani H, Kishi H, Niimi H. Rational in silico design identifies two mutations that restore UT28K SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody activity against Omicron BA.1. Structure 2024; 32:263-272.e7. [PMID: 38228146 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.12.013] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 rapidly mutates and acquires resistance to neutralizing antibodies. We report an in-silico-designed antibody that restores the neutralizing activity of a neutralizing antibody. Our previously generated antibody, UT28K, exhibited broad neutralizing activity against mutant variants; however, its efficacy against Omicron BA.1 was compromised by the mutation. Using previously determined structural information, we designed a modified-UT28K (VH T28R/N57D), UT28K-RD targeting the mutation site. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated the efficacy of UT28K-RD in neutralizing Omicron BA.1. Although the experimentally determined structure partially differed from the predicted model, our study serves as a successful case of antibody design, wherein the predicted amino acid substitution enhanced the recognition of the previously elusive Omicron BA.1. We anticipate that numerous similar cases will be reported, showcasing the potential of this approach for improving protein-protein interactions. Our findings will contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for highly mutable viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuhiko Ozawa
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; Center for Advanced Antibody Drug Development, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
| | - Yoshiki Ikeda
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonnmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Liuan Chen
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Rigel Suzuki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akira Noguchi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Kita
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yuki Anraku
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Emiko Igarashi
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yumiko Saga
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Noriko Inasaki
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shunta Taminishi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jiei Sasaki
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideo Fukuhara
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Katsumi Maenaka
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takao Hashiguchi
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takasuke Fukuhara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Laboratory of Virus Control, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Hirabayashi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hideki Tani
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kishi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; Center for Advanced Antibody Drug Development, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hideki Niimi
- Center for Advanced Antibody Drug Development, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; Department of Clinical Laboratory and Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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9
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Tanino Y, Nishioka K, Yamamoto C, Watanabe Y, Daidoji T, Kawamoto M, Uda S, Kirito S, Nakagawa Y, Kasamatsu Y, Kawahara Y, Sakai Y, Nobori S, Inaba T, Ota B, Fujita N, Hoshino A, Nukui Y, Nakaya T. Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 with Dual-Drug Resistant Mutations During a Long-Term Infection in a Kidney Transplant Recipient. Infect Drug Resist 2024; 17:531-541. [PMID: 38348230 PMCID: PMC10860503 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s438915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Various therapeutic agents are being developed for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, it is crucial to accumulate information regarding the features of drug-resistant viruses to these antiviral drugs. Methods We investigated the emergence of dual-drug resistance in a kidney transplant recipient who received sotrovimab (from day 0) and remdesivir (RDV) (from day 8 to day 17). We sequenced the whole viral genomes from nasopharyngeal swabs taken on day 0 and seven points after starting treatment (on days 12, 19, 23, 37, 43, 48, and 58). The genetic traits of the wild-type (day 0) and descendant viruses (after day 12) were determined by comparing the genomes with those of a Wuhan strain and the day 0 wild-type strain, respectively. Three viral isolates (from samples collected on days 0, 23, and 37) were investigated for their escape ability and growth kinetics in vitro. Results The sotrovimab resistant mutation (S:E340K) and the RDV resistant mutation RdRp:V792I (nt: G15814A) emerged within 12 days (day 12) and 11 days (day 19) after the treatment, respectively. The day 23 isolate harboring S:E340K/RdRp:V791I was resistant to both sotrovimab and RDV, showing 364- and 2.73-fold higher resistance respectively, compared with the wild-type. Moreover, compared with the day 23 isolate, the day 37 isolate accumulated multiple additional mutations and had a higher level of resistance to both drugs. Conclusion Drug-resistant variants with double mutations (S:E340K/RdRp:V791I) became dominant within 23 days after starting treatment, suggesting that even a combination therapy involving sotrovimab and RDV, dual-drug resistant viruses may emerge rapidly in immunocompromised patients. The dual-resistant variants had lower virus yields than those of the wild-type virus in vitro, suggesting that they paid a fitness cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Tanino
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nishioka
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chie Yamamoto
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yohei Watanabe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- JST, MIRAI, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomo Daidoji
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masataka Kawamoto
- Department of Forensics Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sayaka Uda
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shoko Kirito
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuta Nakagawa
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yu Kasamatsu
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kawahara
- Kyoto Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuri Sakai
- Kyoto Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shuji Nobori
- Department of Organ Transplantation and General Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tohru Inaba
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Bon Ota
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naohisa Fujita
- Kyoto Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Nukui
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takaaki Nakaya
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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10
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Benjakul S, Anthi AK, Kolderup A, Vaysburd M, Lode HE, Mallery D, Fossum E, Vikse EL, Albecka A, Ianevski A, Kainov D, Karlsen KF, Sakya SA, Nyquist-Andersen M, Gjølberg TT, Moe MC, Bjørås M, Sandlie I, James LC, Andersen JT. A pan-SARS-CoV-2-specific soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-albumin fusion engineered for enhanced plasma half-life and needle-free mucosal delivery. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad403. [PMID: 38077689 PMCID: PMC10703496 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Immunocompromised patients often fail to raise protective vaccine-induced immunity against the global emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. Although monoclonal antibodies have been authorized for clinical use, most have lost their ability to potently neutralize the evolving Omicron subvariants. Thus, there is an urgent need for treatment strategies that can provide protection against these and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to prevent the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019. Here, we report on the design and characterization of a long-acting viral entry-blocking angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) dimeric fusion molecule. Specifically, a soluble truncated human dimeric ACE2 variant, engineered for improved binding to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, was fused with human albumin tailored for favorable engagement of the neonatal fragment crystallizable receptor (FcRn), which resulted in enhanced plasma half-life and allowed for needle-free transmucosal delivery upon nasal administration in human FcRn-expressing transgenic mice. Importantly, the dimeric ACE2-fused albumin demonstrated potent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 immune escape variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sopisa Benjakul
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Aina Karen Anthi
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Anette Kolderup
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Marina Vaysburd
- Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Heidrun Elisabeth Lode
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo 0450, Norway
| | - Donna Mallery
- Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Even Fossum
- Department of Virology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Lea Vikse
- Department of Virology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | - Anna Albecka
- Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Aleksandr Ianevski
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Denis Kainov
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Karine Flem Karlsen
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Siri Aastedatter Sakya
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Mari Nyquist-Andersen
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Torleif Tollefsrud Gjølberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo 0450, Norway
| | - Morten C Moe
- Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo 0450, Norway
| | - Magnar Bjørås
- Department of Virology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | - Inger Sandlie
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0371, Norway
| | - Leo C James
- Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Jan Terje Andersen
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0372, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo 0372, Norway
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11
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Narayanan KK, Amaya M, Tsang N, Yin R, Jays A, Broder CC, Shukla D, Procko E. Sequence basis for selectivity of ephrin-B2 ligand for Eph receptors and pathogenic henipavirus G glycoproteins. J Virol 2023; 97:e0062123. [PMID: 37931130 PMCID: PMC10688352 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00621-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Ephrin-B2 (EFNB2) is a ligand for six Eph receptors in humans and regulates multiple cell developmental and signaling processes. It also functions as the cell entry receptor for Nipah virus and Hendra virus, zoonotic viruses that can cause respiratory and/or neurological symptoms in humans with high mortality. Here, we investigate the sequence basis of EFNB2 specificity for binding the Nipah virus attachment G glycoprotein over Eph receptors. We then use this information to engineer EFNB2 as a soluble decoy receptor that specifically binds the attachment glycoproteins of the Nipah virus and other related henipaviruses to neutralize infection. These findings further mechanistic understanding of protein selectivity and may facilitate the development of diagnostics or therapeutics against henipavirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Moushimi Amaya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Natalie Tsang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Randy Yin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alka Jays
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher C. Broder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cyrus Biotechnology, Seattle, Washington, USA
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12
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Chmielewski D, Wilson EA, Pintilie G, Zhao P, Chen M, Schmid MF, Simmons G, Wells L, Jin J, Singharoy A, Chiu W. Structural insights into the modulation of coronavirus spike tilting and infectivity by hinge glycans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7175. [PMID: 37935678 PMCID: PMC10630519 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42836-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus spike glycoproteins presented on the virion surface mediate receptor binding, and membrane fusion during virus entry and constitute the primary target for vaccine and drug development. How the structure dynamics of the full-length spikes incorporated in viral lipid envelope correlates with the virus infectivity remains poorly understood. Here we present structures and distributions of native spike conformations on vitrified human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) virions without chemical fixation by cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and subtomogram averaging, along with site-specific glycan composition and occupancy determined by mass spectrometry. The higher oligomannose glycan shield on HCoV-NL63 spikes than on SARS-CoV-2 spikes correlates with stronger immune evasion of HCoV-NL63. Incorporation of cryoET-derived native spike conformations into all-atom molecular dynamic simulations elucidate the conformational landscape of the glycosylated, full-length spike that reveals a role of hinge glycans in modulating spike bending. We show that glycosylation at N1242 at the upper portion of the stalk is responsible for the extensive orientational freedom of the spike crown. Subsequent infectivity assays implicated involvement of N1242-glyan in virus entry. Our results suggest a potential therapeutic target site for HCoV-NL63.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Chmielewski
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Eric A Wilson
- School of Molecular Sciences, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Grigore Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Peng Zhao
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Muyuan Chen
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Michael F Schmid
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Graham Simmons
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lance Wells
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- School of Molecular Sciences, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Wah Chiu
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA.
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13
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Sawula E, Miersch S, Jong ED, Li C, Chou FY, Tang JK, Saberianfar R, Harding J, Sidhu SS, Nagy A. Cell-based passive immunization for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:318. [PMID: 37932852 PMCID: PMC10629160 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03556-5] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunologically impaired individuals respond poorly to vaccines, highlighting the need for additional strategies to protect these vulnerable populations from COVID-19. While monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have emerged as promising tools to manage infectious diseases, the transient lifespan of neutralizing mAbs in patients limits their ability to confer lasting, passive prophylaxis from SARS-CoV-2. Here, we attempted to solve this problem by combining cell and mAb engineering in a way that provides durable immune protection against viral infection using safe and universal cell therapy. METHODS Mouse embryonic stem cells equipped with our FailSafe™ and induced allogeneic cell tolerance technologies were engineered to express factors that potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2, which we call 'neutralizing biologics' (nBios). We subcutaneously transplanted the transgenic cells into mice and longitudinally assessed the ability of the cells to deliver nBios into circulation. To do so, we quantified plasma nBio concentrations and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activity over time in transplant recipients. Finally, using similar cell engineering strategies, we genetically modified FailSafe™ human-induced pluripotent stem cells to express SARS-CoV-2 nBios. RESULTS Transgenic mouse embryonic stem cells engineered for safety and allogeneic-acceptance can secrete functional and potent SARS-CoV-2 nBios. As a dormant, subcutaneous tissue, the transgenic cells and their differentiated derivatives long-term deliver a supply of protective nBio titers in vivo. Moving toward clinical relevance, we also show that human-induced pluripotent stem cells, similarly engineered for safety, can secrete highly potent nBios. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings show the promise and potential of using 'off-the-shelf' cell products that secrete neutralizing antibodies for sustained protective immunity against current and future viral pathogens of public health significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Sawula
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shane Miersch
- The Anvil Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Eric D Jong
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chengjin Li
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fang-Yu Chou
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jean Kit Tang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Reza Saberianfar
- The Anvil Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Harding
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sachdev S Sidhu
- The Anvil Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Andras Nagy
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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14
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Hino T, Omura SN, Nakagawa R, Togashi T, Takeda SN, Hiramoto T, Tasaka S, Hirano H, Tokuyama T, Uosaki H, Ishiguro S, Kagieva M, Yamano H, Ozaki Y, Motooka D, Mori H, Kirita Y, Kise Y, Itoh Y, Matoba S, Aburatani H, Yachie N, Karvelis T, Siksnys V, Ohmori T, Hoshino A, Nureki O. An AsCas12f-based compact genome-editing tool derived by deep mutational scanning and structural analysis. Cell 2023; 186:4920-4935.e23. [PMID: 37776859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
SpCas9 and AsCas12a are widely utilized as genome-editing tools in human cells. However, their relatively large size poses a limitation for delivery by cargo-size-limited adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. The type V-F Cas12f from Acidibacillus sulfuroxidans is exceptionally compact (422 amino acids) and has been harnessed as a compact genome-editing tool. Here, we developed an approach, combining deep mutational scanning and structure-informed design, to successfully generate two AsCas12f activity-enhanced (enAsCas12f) variants. Remarkably, the enAsCas12f variants exhibited genome-editing activities in human cells comparable with those of SpCas9 and AsCas12a. The cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures revealed that the mutations stabilize the dimer formation and reinforce interactions with nucleic acids to enhance their DNA cleavage activities. Moreover, enAsCas12f packaged with partner genes in an all-in-one AAV vector exhibited efficient knock-in/knock-out activities and transcriptional activation in mice. Taken together, enAsCas12f variants could offer a minimal genome-editing platform for in vivo gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Hino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Satoshi N Omura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryoya Nakagawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tomoki Togashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan; Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-0942, Japan
| | - Satoru N Takeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takafumi Hiramoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tasaka
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Hisato Hirano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tokuyama
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Hideki Uosaki
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Soh Ishiguro
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6S 0L4, Canada
| | - Madina Kagieva
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6S 0L4, Canada
| | - Hiroyuki Yamano
- Department of Infection Metagenomics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuki Ozaki
- Department of Infection Metagenomics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Daisuke Motooka
- Department of Infection Metagenomics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hideto Mori
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Yamagata 997-0035, Japan; Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan; Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Kise
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Curreio, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuzuru Itoh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Satoaki Matoba
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Aburatani
- Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Nozomu Yachie
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6S 0L4, Canada; Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Synthetic Biology Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Tautvydas Karvelis
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Virginijus Siksnys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Tsukasa Ohmori
- Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan; Center for Gene Therapy Research, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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15
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Llewellyn GN, Chen HY, Rogers GL, Huang X, Sell PJ, Henley JE, Cannon PM. Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors based on ACE2 receptor or engineered Spike-binding peptides. J Virol 2023; 97:e0068423. [PMID: 37555663 PMCID: PMC10506483 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00684-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
With increasing resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to antibodies, there is interest in developing entry inhibitors that target essential receptor-binding regions of the viral Spike protein and thereby present a high bar for viral resistance. Such inhibitors could be derivatives of the viral receptor, ACE2, or peptides engineered to interact specifically with the Spike receptor-binding pocket. We compared the efficacy of a series of both types of entry inhibitors, constructed as fusions to an antibody Fc domain. Such a design can increase protein stability and act to both neutralize free virus and recruit effector functions to clear infected cells. We tested the reagents against prototype variants of SARS-CoV-2, using both Spike pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus vectors and replication-competent viruses. These analyses revealed that an optimized ACE2 derivative could neutralize all variants we tested with high efficacy. In contrast, the Spike-binding peptides had varying activities against different variants, with resistance observed in the Spike proteins from Beta, Gamma, and Omicron (BA.1 and BA.5). The resistance mapped to mutations at Spike residues K417 and N501 and could be overcome for one of the peptides by linking two copies in tandem, effectively creating a tetrameric reagent in the Fc fusion. Finally, both the optimized ACE2 and tetrameric peptide inhibitors provided some protection to human ACE2 transgenic mice challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, which typically causes death in this model within 7-9 days. IMPORTANCE The increasing resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to therapeutic antibodies has highlighted the need for new treatment options, especially in individuals who do not respond to vaccination. Receptor decoys that block viral entry are an attractive approach because of the presumed high bar to developing viral resistance. Here, we compare two entry inhibitors based on derivatives of the ACE2 receptor, or engineered peptides that bind to the receptor-binding pocket of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. In each case, the inhibitors were fused to immunoglobulin Fc domains, which can further enhance therapeutic properties, and compared for activity against different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Potent inhibition against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants was demonstrated in vitro, and even relatively low single doses of optimized reagents provided some protection in a mouse model, confirming their potential as an alternative to antibody therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- George N. Llewellyn
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hsu-Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Geoffrey L. Rogers
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xiaoli Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Philip J. Sell
- The Hastings Foundation and The Wright Foundation Laboratories, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jill E. Henley
- The Hastings Foundation and The Wright Foundation Laboratories, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Paula M. Cannon
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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16
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Urano E, Itoh Y, Suzuki T, Sasaki T, Kishikawa JI, Akamatsu K, Higuchi Y, Sakai Y, Okamura T, Mitoma S, Sugihara F, Takada A, Kimura M, Nakao S, Hirose M, Sasaki T, Koketsu R, Tsuji S, Yanagida S, Shioda T, Hara E, Matoba S, Matsuura Y, Kanda Y, Arase H, Okada M, Takagi J, Kato T, Hoshino A, Yasutomi Y, Saito A, Okamoto T. An inhaled ACE2 decoy confers protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in preclinical models. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadi2623. [PMID: 37647387 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi2623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The Omicron variant continuously evolves under the humoral immune pressure exerted by vaccination and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and the resulting Omicron subvariants display further immune evasion and antibody escape. An engineered angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) decoy composed of high-affinity ACE2 and an IgG1 Fc domain could offer an alternative modality to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. We previously reported its broad spectrum and therapeutic potential in rodent models. Here, we demonstrate that the engineered ACE2 decoy retains neutralization activity against Omicron subvariants, including the currently emerging XBB and BQ.1 strains, which completely evade antibodies currently in clinical use. SARS-CoV-2, under the suboptimal concentration of neutralizing drugs, generated SARS-CoV-2 mutants escaping wild-type ACE2 decoy and monoclonal antibodies, whereas no escape mutant emerged against the engineered ACE2 decoy. Furthermore, inhalation of aerosolized decoys improved the outcomes of rodents infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a 20-fold lower dose than that of intravenous administration. Last, the engineered ACE2 decoy exhibited therapeutic efficacy for cynomolgus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2. These results indicate that this engineered ACE2 decoy represents a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants and that liquid aerosol inhalation could be considered as a noninvasive approach to enhance the efficacy of COVID-19 treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Urano
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Vaccine Research, Tsukuba Primate Research Center, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tsukuba, 305-0843, Japan
| | - Yumi Itoh
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Suzuki
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Takanori Sasaki
- Collaborative Research Center for Okayama Medical Innovation Center, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, 700-0082, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kishikawa
- Laboratory of CryoEM Structural Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kanako Akamatsu
- Department of Oncogene, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yusuke Sakai
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Okamura
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Vaccine Research, Tsukuba Primate Research Center, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tsukuba, 305-0843, Japan
| | - Shuya Mitoma
- Department of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2155, Japan
| | - Fuminori Sugihara
- Central Instrumentation Laboratory, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Akira Takada
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mari Kimura
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shuto Nakao
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mika Hirose
- Laboratory of CryoEM Structural Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Sasaki
- Department of Viral Infection, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ritsuko Koketsu
- Department of Viral Infection, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shunya Tsuji
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shota Yanagida
- Division of Pharmacology, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kanagawa, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Shioda
- Department of Viral Infection, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Eiji Hara
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Satoaki Matoba
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Matsuura
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasunari Kanda
- Division of Pharmacology, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kanagawa, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hisashi Arase
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Advanced Modalities and Drug Delivery System, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masato Okada
- Department of Oncogene, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Advanced Modalities and Drug Delivery System, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Laboratory of Oncogene Research, World Premier International Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kato
- Laboratory of CryoEM Structural Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Advanced Modalities and Drug Delivery System, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yasutomi
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Vaccine Research, Tsukuba Primate Research Center, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tsukuba, 305-0843, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
| | - Akatsuki Saito
- Department of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2155, Japan
- Center for Animal Disease Control, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2155, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2155, Japan
| | - Toru Okamoto
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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17
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Moriyama S, Anraku Y, Taminishi S, Adachi Y, Kuroda D, Kita S, Higuchi Y, Kirita Y, Kotaki R, Tonouchi K, Yumoto K, Suzuki T, Someya T, Fukuhara H, Kuroda Y, Yamamoto T, Onodera T, Fukushi S, Maeda K, Nakamura-Uchiyama F, Hashiguchi T, Hoshino A, Maenaka K, Takahashi Y. Structural delineation and computational design of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4198. [PMID: 37452031 PMCID: PMC10349087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39890-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have evolved to evade receptor-binding site (RBS) antibodies that exist in diverse individuals as public antibody clones. We rationally selected RBS antibodies resilient to mutations in emerging Omicron subvariants. Y489 was identified as a site of virus vulnerability and a common footprint of broadly neutralizing antibodies against the subvariants. Multiple Y489-binding antibodies were encoded by public clonotypes and additionally recognized F486, potentially accounting for the emergence of Omicron subvariants harboring the F486V mutation. However, a subclass of antibodies broadly neutralized BA.4/BA.5 variants via hydrophobic binding sites of rare clonotypes along with high mutation-resilience under escape mutation screening. A computationally designed antibody based on one of the Y489-binding antibodies, NIV-10/FD03, was able to bind XBB with any 486 mutation and neutralized XBB.1.5. The structural basis for the mutation-resilience of this Y489-binding antibody group may provide important insights into the design of therapeutics resistant to viral escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saya Moriyama
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Yuki Anraku
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Shunta Taminishi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yu Adachi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Kita
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Kotaki
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tonouchi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Kohei Yumoto
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tateki Suzuki
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University; Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Taiyou Someya
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Hideo Fukuhara
- Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Yudai Kuroda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Yamamoto
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Taishi Onodera
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shuetsu Fukushi
- Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Fukumi Nakamura-Uchiyama
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital; Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 130-8575, Japan
| | - Takao Hashiguchi
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University; Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Katsumi Maenaka
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
- Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
- Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takahashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
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18
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Kegler A, Drewitz L, Arndt C, Daglar C, Rodrigues Loureiro L, Mitwasi N, Neuber C, González Soto KE, Bartsch T, Baraban L, Ziehr H, Heine M, Nieter A, Moreira-Soto A, Kühne A, Drexler JF, Seliger B, Laube M, Máthé D, Pályi B, Hajdrik P, Forgách L, Kis Z, Szigeti K, Bergmann R, Feldmann A, Bachmann M. A novel ACE2 decoy for both neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants and killing of infected cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1204543. [PMID: 37383226 PMCID: PMC10293748 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1204543] [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] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to millions of infections and deaths worldwide. As this virus evolves rapidly, there is a high need for treatment options that can win the race against new emerging variants of concern. Here, we describe a novel immunotherapeutic drug based on the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 and provide experimental evidence that it cannot only be used for (i) neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in SARS-CoV-2-infected animal models but also for (ii) clearance of virus-infected cells. For the latter purpose, we equipped the ACE2 decoy with an epitope tag. Thereby, we converted it to an adapter molecule, which we successfully applied in the modular platforms UniMAB and UniCAR for retargeting of either unmodified or universal chimeric antigen receptor-modified immune effector cells. Our results pave the way for a clinical application of this novel ACE2 decoy, which will clearly improve COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Kegler
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Laura Drewitz
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Claudia Arndt
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cansu Daglar
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Liliana Rodrigues Loureiro
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicola Mitwasi
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Christin Neuber
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Karla Elizabeth González Soto
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Tabea Bartsch
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Larysa Baraban
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Holger Ziehr
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Markus Heine
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Annabel Nieter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Andres Moreira-Soto
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arne Kühne
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Medical Faculty, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- Institute of Translational Immunology, Medical High School, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
| | - Markus Laube
- Department of Radiopharmaceutical and Chemical Biology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Domokos Máthé
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine, In Vivo Imaging Advanced Core Facility, Szeged, Hungary
- CROmed Translational Research Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bernadett Pályi
- National Biosafety Laboratory, Division of Microbiological Reference Laboratories, National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Polett Hajdrik
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Forgách
- Semmelweis University School of Pharmacy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Kis
- National Biosafety Laboratory, Division of Microbiological Reference Laboratories, National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Szigeti
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ralf Bergmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anja Feldmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Bachmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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19
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Gagne M, Flynn BJ, Honeycutt CC, Flebbe DR, Andrew SF, Provost SJ, McCormick L, Van Ry A, McCarthy E, Todd JPM, Bao S, Teng IT, Marciano S, Rudich Y, Li C, Pessaint L, Dodson A, Cook A, Lewis MG, Andersen H, Zahradník J, Nason MC, Foulds KE, Kwong PD, Roederer M, Schreiber G, Seder RA, Douek DC. RBD-based high affinity ACE2 antagonist limits SARS-CoV-2 replication in upper and lower airways. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.09.544432. [PMID: 37503026 PMCID: PMC10370179 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.09.544432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has the capacity to evolve mutations to escape vaccine-and infection-acquired immunity and antiviral drugs. A variant-agnostic therapeutic agent that protects against severe disease without putting selective pressure on the virus would thus be a valuable biomedical tool. Here, we challenged rhesus macaques with SARS-CoV-2 Delta and simultaneously treated them with aerosolized RBD-62, a protein developed through multiple rounds of in vitro evolution of SARS-CoV-2 RBD to acquire 1000-fold enhanced ACE2 binding affinity. RBD-62 treatment gave equivalent protection in upper and lower airways, a phenomenon not previously observed with clinically approved vaccines. Importantly, RBD-62 did not block the development of memory responses to Delta and did not elicit anti-drug immunity. These data provide proof-of-concept that RBD-62 can prevent severe disease from a highly virulent variant.
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20
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Havranek B, Lindsey GW, Higuchi Y, Itoh Y, Suzuki T, Okamoto T, Hoshino A, Procko E, Islam SM. A computationally designed ACE2 decoy has broad efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants and related viruses in vitro and in vivo. Commun Biol 2023; 6:513. [PMID: 37173421 PMCID: PMC10177734 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04860-9] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, especially B.1.1.529/omicron and its sublineages, continues to mutate to evade monoclonal antibodies and antibodies elicited by vaccination. Affinity-enhanced soluble ACE2 (sACE2) is an alternative strategy that works by binding the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, acting as a 'decoy' to block the interaction between the S and human ACE2. Using a computational design strategy, we designed an affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoy, FLIF, that exhibited tight binding to SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants. Our computationally calculated absolute binding free energies (ABFE) between sACE2:SARS-CoV-2 S proteins and their variants showed excellent agreement to binding experiments. FLIF displayed robust therapeutic utility against a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and sarbecoviruses, and neutralized omicron BA.5 in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we directly compared the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of wild-type ACE2 (non-affinity enhanced ACE2) against FLIF. A few wild-type sACE2 decoys have shown to be effective against early circulating variants such as Wuhan in vivo. Our data suggest that moving forward, affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoys like FLIF may be required to combat evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants. The approach described herein emphasizes how computational methods have become sufficiently accurate for the design of therapeutics against viral protein targets. Affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoys remain highly effective at neutralizing omicron subvariants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Havranek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yumi Itoh
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Suzuki
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toru Okamoto
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Cyrus Biotechnology, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shahidul M Islam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA.
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21
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Izadi S, Vavra U, Melnik S, Grünwald-Gruber C, Föderl-Höbenreich E, Sack M, Zatloukal K, Glössl J, Stöger E, Mach L, Castilho A, Strasser R. In planta deglycosylation improves the SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activity of recombinant ACE2-Fc. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1180044. [PMID: 37207124 PMCID: PMC10190127 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1180044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infects human cells via binding of the viral spike glycoprotein to its main cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The spike protein-ACE2 receptor interaction is therefore a major target for the development of therapeutic or prophylactic drugs to combat coronavirus infections. Various engineered soluble ACE2 variants (decoys) have been designed and shown to exhibit virus neutralization capacity in cell-based assays and in vivo models. Human ACE2 is heavily glycosylated and some of its glycans impair binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Therefore, glycan-engineered recombinant soluble ACE2 variants might display enhanced virus-neutralization potencies. Here, we transiently co-expressed the extracellular domain of ACE2 fused to human Fc (ACE2-Fc) with a bacterial endoglycosidase in Nicotiana benthamiana to produce ACE2-Fc decorated with N-glycans consisting of single GlcNAc residues. The endoglycosidase was targeted to the Golgi apparatus with the intention to avoid any interference of glycan removal with concomitant ACE2-Fc protein folding and quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum. The in vivo deglycosylated ACE2-Fc carrying single GlcNAc residues displayed increased affinity to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 as well as improved virus neutralization activity and thus is a promising drug candidate to block coronavirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Izadi
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stanislav Melnik
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Kurt Zatloukal
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Josef Glössl
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Stöger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Alcantara MC, Higuchi Y, Kirita Y, Matoba S, Hoshino A. Deep Mutational Scanning to Predict Escape from Bebtelovimab in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030711. [PMID: 36992294 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The major concern with COVID-19 therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is the loss of efficacy against continuously emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. To predict antibody efficacy against future Omicron subvariants, we conducted deep mutational scanning (DMS) encompassing all single mutations of the receptor-binding domain of the BA.2 strain utilizing an inverted infection assay with an ACE2-harboring virus and library spike-expressing cells. In the case of bebtelovimab, which preserves neutralization activity against BA.2 and BA.5, a broad range of amino acid substitutions at K444, V445, and G446, and some substitutions at P499 and T500, were indicated to achieve the antibody escape. Among subvariants with current rises in case numbers, BA2.75 with G446S partially evaded neutralization by bebtelovimab, while complete evasion was observed in XBB with V445P and BQ.1 with K444T. This is consistent with the DMS results against BA.2, highlighting the potential of DMS as a predictive tool for antibody escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellissa C Alcantara
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Satoaki Matoba
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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23
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Tada T, Dcosta BM, Zhou H, Landau NR. Prophylaxis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an ACE2 receptor decoy in a preclinical animal model. iScience 2023; 26:106092. [PMID: 36741912 PMCID: PMC9886562 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with highly mutated spike proteins has presented an obstacle to the use of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that a high-affinity receptor decoy protein in which a modified ACE2 ectodomain is fused to a single domain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc region dramatically suppressed virus loads in mice upon challenge with a high dose of parental SARS-CoV-2 or Omicron variants. The decoy also potently suppressed virus replication when administered shortly post-infection. The decoy approach offers protection against the current viral variants and, potentially, against SARS-CoV-2 variants that may emerge with the continued evolution of the spike protein or novel viruses that use ACE2 for virus entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Tada
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 430 East 29th Street, Alexandria West Building, Rm 509, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Belinda M. Dcosta
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 430 East 29th Street, Alexandria West Building, Rm 509, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 430 East 29th Street, Alexandria West Building, Rm 509, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nathaniel R. Landau
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 430 East 29th Street, Alexandria West Building, Rm 509, New York, NY 10016, USA
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24
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Chmielewski D, Wilson EA, Pintilie G, Zhao P, Chen M, Schmid MF, Simmons G, Wells L, Jin J, Singharoy A, Chiu W. Integrated analyses reveal a hinge glycan regulates coronavirus spike tilting and virus infectivity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2553619. [PMID: 36824920 PMCID: PMC9949256 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2553619/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus spike glycoproteins presented on the virion surface mediate receptor binding, and membrane fusion during virus entry and constitute the primary target for vaccine and drug development. How the structure dynamics of the full-length spikes incorporated in viral lipid envelope correlates with the virus infectivity remains poorly understood. Here we present structures and distributions of native spike conformations on vitrified human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) virions without chemical fixation by cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and subtomogram averaging, along with site-specific glycan composition and occupancy determined by mass spectroscopy. The higher oligomannose glycan shield on HCoV-NL63 spikes than on SARS-CoV-2 spikes correlates with stronger immune evasion of HCoV-NL63. Incorporation of cryoET-derived native spike conformations into all-atom molecular dynamic simulations elucidate the conformational landscape of the glycosylated, full-length spike that reveals a novel role of stalk glycans in modulating spike bending. We show that glycosylation at N1242 at the upper portion of the stalk is responsible for the extensive orientational freedom of the spike crown. Subsequent infectivity assays support the hypothesis that this glycan-dependent motion impacts virus entry. Our results suggest a potential therapeutic target site for HCoV-NL63.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Chmielewski
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eric A. Wilson
- School of Molecular Sciences, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Grigore Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peng Zhao
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Muyuan Chen
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Michael F. Schmid
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Graham Simmons
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lance Wells
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- School of Molecular Sciences, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
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25
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Prophylaxis and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an ACE2 Receptor Decoy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2022.12.31.522401. [PMID: 36656772 PMCID: PMC9844012 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.31.522401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with highly mutated spike proteins has presented an obstacle to the use of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that a high affinity receptor decoy protein in which a modified ACE2 ectodomain is fused to a single domain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc region dramatically suppressed virus loads in mice upon challenge with a high dose of parental SARS-CoV-2 or Omicron variants. The decoy also potently suppressed virus replication when administered shortly post-infection. The decoy approach offers protection against the current viral variants and, potentially, against SARS-CoV-2 variants that may emerge with the continued evolution of the spike protein or novel viruses that use ACE2 for virus entry.
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26
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Tzou PL, Tao K, Sahoo MK, Kosakovsky Pond SL, Pinsky BA, Shafer RW. Sierra SARS-CoV-2 sequence and antiviral resistance analysis program. J Clin Virol 2022; 157:105323. [PMID: 36334368 PMCID: PMC9595491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although most laboratories are capable of employing established protocols to perform full-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequencing, many are unable to assess sequence quality, select appropriate mutation-detection thresholds, or report on the potential clinical significance of mutations in the targets of antiviral therapy METHODS: We describe the technical aspects and benchmark the performance of Sierra SARS-CoV-2, a program designed to perform these functions on user-submitted FASTQ and FASTA sequence files and lists of Spike mutations. Sierra SARS-CoV-2 indicates which sequences contain an unexpectedly large number of unusual mutations and which mutations are associated with reduced susceptibility to clinical stage mAbs, the RdRP inhibitor remdesivir, or the Mpro inhibitor nirmatrelvir RESULTS: To assess the performance of Sierra SARS-CoV-2 on FASTQ files, we applied it to 600 representative FASTQ sequences and compared the results to the COVID-19 EDGE program. To assess its performance on FASTA files, we applied it to nearly one million representative FASTA sequences and compared the results to the GISAID mutation annotation. To assess its performance on mutations lists, we applied it to 13,578 distinct Spike RBD mutation patterns and showed that exactly or partially matching annotations were available for 88% of patterns CONCLUSION: Sierra SARS-CoV-2 leverages previously published data to improve the quality control of submitted viral genomic data and to provide functional annotation on the impact of mutations in the targets of antiviral SARS-CoV-2 therapy. The program can be found at https://covdb.stanford.edu/sierra/sars2/ and its source code at https://github.com/hivdb/sierra-sars2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Tzou
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Kaiming Tao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Malaya K Sahoo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Benjamin A Pinsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert W Shafer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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27
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Dehghani J, Movafeghi A, Mathieu-Rivet E, Mati-Baouche N, Calbo S, Lerouge P, Bardor M. Microalgae as an Efficient Vehicle for the Production and Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Glycoproteins against SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20110657. [PMID: 36354980 PMCID: PMC9698596 DOI: 10.3390/md20110657] [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: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human organs, including the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and gastrointestinal ones. The virus is internalized into human cells by binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through its spike protein (S-glycoprotein). As S-glycoprotein is required for the attachment and entry into the human target cells, it is the primary mediator of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Currently, this glycoprotein has received considerable attention as a key component for the development of antiviral vaccines or biologics against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, since the ACE2 receptor constitutes the main entry route for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its soluble form could be considered as a promising approach for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 infection (COVID-19). Both S-glycoprotein and ACE2 are highly glycosylated molecules containing 22 and 7 consensus N-glycosylation sites, respectively. The N-glycan structures attached to these specific sites are required for the folding, conformation, recycling, and biological activity of both glycoproteins. Thus far, recombinant S-glycoprotein and ACE2 have been produced primarily in mammalian cells, which is an expensive process. Therefore, benefiting from a cheaper cell-based biofactory would be a good value added to the development of cost-effective recombinant vaccines and biopharmaceuticals directed against COVID-19. To this end, efficient protein synthesis machinery and the ability to properly impose post-translational modifications make microalgae an eco-friendly platform for the production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins. Notably, several microalgae (e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Dunaliella bardawil, and Chlorella species) are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe human food. Because microalgal cells contain a rigid cell wall that could act as a natural encapsulation to protect the recombinant proteins from the aggressive environment of the stomach, this feature could be used for the rapid production and edible targeted delivery of S-glycoprotein and soluble ACE2 for the treatment/inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we have reviewed the pathogenesis mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 and then highlighted the potential of microalgae for the treatment/inhibition of COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaber Dehghani
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
| | - Ali Movafeghi
- Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran
| | - Elodie Mathieu-Rivet
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
| | - Narimane Mati-Baouche
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
| | - Sébastien Calbo
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Inserm U1234, F-76000 Rouen, France
| | - Patrice Lerouge
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
| | - Muriel Bardor
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-2-35-14-67-51
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28
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Xu Z, Ismanto HS, Zhou H, Saputri DS, Sugihara F, Standley DM. Advances in antibody discovery from human BCR repertoires. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:1044975. [PMID: 36338807 PMCID: PMC9631452 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.1044975] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies make up an important and growing class of compounds used for the diagnosis or treatment of disease. While traditional antibody discovery utilized immunization of animals to generate lead compounds, technological innovations have made it possible to search for antibodies targeting a given antigen within the repertoires of B cells in humans. Here we group these innovations into four broad categories: cell sorting allows the collection of cells enriched in specificity to one or more antigens; BCR sequencing can be performed on bulk mRNA, genomic DNA or on paired (heavy-light) mRNA; BCR repertoire analysis generally involves clustering BCRs into specificity groups or more in-depth modeling of antibody-antigen interactions, such as antibody-specific epitope predictions; validation of antibody-antigen interactions requires expression of antibodies, followed by antigen binding assays or epitope mapping. Together with innovations in Deep learning these technologies will contribute to the future discovery of diagnostic and therapeutic antibodies directly from humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichang Xu
- Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Hendra S. Ismanto
- Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Dianita S. Saputri
- Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Fuminori Sugihara
- Core Instrumentation Facility, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Daron M. Standley
- Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department Systems Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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29
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Arimori T, Ikemura N, Okamoto T, Takagi J, Standley DM, Hoshino A. Engineering ACE2 decoy receptors to combat viral escapability. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:838-851. [PMID: 35902282 PMCID: PMC9312672 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Decoy receptor proteins that trick viruses to bind to them should be resistant to viral escape because viruses that require entry receptors cannot help but bind decoy receptors. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the major receptor for coronavirus cell entry. Recombinant soluble ACE2 was previously developed as a biologic against acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and verified to be safe in clinical studies. The emergence of COVID-19 reignited interest in soluble ACE2 as a potential broad-spectrum decoy receptor against coronaviruses. In this review, we summarize recent developments in preclinical studies using various high-affinity mutagenesis and Fc fusion approaches to achieve therapeutic efficacy of recombinant ACE2 decoy receptor against coronaviruses. We also highlight the relevance of stimulating effector immune cells through Fc-receptor engagement and the potential of using liquid aerosol delivery of ACE2 decoy receptors for defense against ACE2-utilizing coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Arimori
- Laboratory for Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nariko Ikemura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toru Okamoto
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Laboratory for Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daron M Standley
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Genome Informatics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
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30
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Abstract
Here, Fernbach and Hale comment on a new PLOS Biology article that describes how receptor-decorated decoys are an effective feature of the body’s own innate immune arsenal of antiviral weapons against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Fernbach
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin G. Hale
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Tang H, Ke Y, Wang L, Wu M, Sun T, Zhu J. Recombinant Decoy Exhibits Broad Protection against Omicron and Resistance Potential to Future Variants. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1002. [PMID: 36015150 PMCID: PMC9413901 DOI: 10.3390/ph15081002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The Omicron variant has swept through most countries and become a dominant circulating strain, replacing the Delta variant. The evolutionary history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) suggests that the onset of another variant (possibly another variant of concern (VOC) is inevitable. Therefore, the development of therapeutics that enable treatments for all Omicron-included VOCs/variants of interest (VOIs) and future variants is desired. Recently, the recombinant receptor decoy therapeutic angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-Fc has exhibited good safety in a phase 1 clinical trial; therefore, its variant-resistant profile needs to be understood. Here, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of its neutralization breadth against the Omicron variant and other VOCs/VOIs. Furthermore, to evaluate its resistance to future variants, we investigated its ability to neutralize various single-residue mutated variants. Next, we demonstrated its resistance to evasion via an experiment that rapidly and effectively stimulates virus evolution with a replication-competent virus model. In addition, we evaluated its efficacy for cocktail therapy. The combination of ACE2-Fc and neutralizing antibodies showed both efficacy and breadth in the simulation experiment. The underlying mechanism was revealed to be a synergistic effect in the cocktails. Collectively, this study deepens the understanding of the resistance profile of recombinant receptor decoy therapeutics and highlights the potential value of ACE2-Fc and neutralizing antibody cocktails in the subsequent anti-SARS-CoV-2 campaign. Furthermore, we also provide an effective method to study the resistance profile of antiviral agents and rapidly screen for potential cocktails to combat future variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoneng Tang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education of China, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yong Ke
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education of China, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education of China, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mingyuan Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education of China, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Tao Sun
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Municipal Veterinary Key Laboratory, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jianwei Zhu
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education of China, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Jecho Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300467, China
- Jecho Laboratories, Inc., Frederick, MD 21704, USA
- Jecho Institute, Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200240, China
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