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Holmes J, Islam SM, Milligan KA. Exploring Cannabinoids as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease: Insights from Computational Analysis and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Viruses 2024; 16:878. [PMID: 38932170 PMCID: PMC11209085 DOI: 10.3390/v16060878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered a global COVID-19 pandemic, challenging healthcare systems worldwide. Effective therapeutic strategies against this novel coronavirus remain limited, underscoring the urgent need for innovative approaches. The present research investigates the potential of cannabis compounds as therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2 through their interaction with the virus's papain-like protease (PLpro) protein, a crucial element in viral replication and immune evasion. Computational methods, including molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, were employed to screen cannabis compounds against PLpro and analyze their binding mechanisms and interaction patterns. The results showed cannabinoids with binding affinities ranging from -6.1 kcal/mol to -4.6 kcal/mol, forming interactions with PLpro. Notably, Cannabigerolic and Cannabidiolic acids exhibited strong binding contacts with critical residues in PLpro's active region, indicating their potential as viral replication inhibitors. MD simulations revealed the dynamic behavior of cannabinoid-PLpro complexes, highlighting stable binding conformations and conformational changes over time. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying cannabis interaction with SARS-CoV-2 PLpro, aiding in the rational design of antiviral therapies. Future research will focus on experimental validation, optimizing binding affinity and selectivity, and preclinical assessments to develop effective treatments against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shahidul M. Islam
- Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University, 1200 N. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.H.); (K.A.M.)
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2
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Zhang C, Parichenko A, Choi W, Shin S, Panes-Ruiz LA, Belyaev D, Custódio TF, Löw C, Lee JS, Ibarlucea B, Cuniberti G. Sybodies as Novel Bioreceptors toward Field-Effect Transistor-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antigens. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:40191-40200. [PMID: 37603713 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has increased the demand for low-cost, portable, and rapid biosensors, driving huge research efforts toward new nanomaterial-based approaches with high sensitivity. Many of them employ antibodies as bioreceptors, which have a costly development process that requires animal facilities. Recently, sybodies emerged as a new alternative class of synthetic binders and receptors with high antigen binding efficiency, improved chemical stability, and lower production costs via animal-free methods. Their smaller size is an important asset to consider in combination with ultrasensitive field-effect transistors (FETs) as transducers, which respond more intensely when biorecognition occurs near their surface. This work demonstrates the immobilization of sybodies against the spike protein of the virus on silicon surfaces, which are often integral parts of the semiconducting channel of FETs. Immobilized sybodies maintain the capability to capture antigens, even at low concentrations in the femtomolar range, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. Finally, the first proof of concept of sybody-modified FET sensing is provided using a nanoscopic silicon net as the sensitive area where the sybodies are immobilized. The future development of further sybodies against other biomarkers and their generalization in biosensors could be critical to decrease the cost of biodetection platforms in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center for Biomaterials, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Alexandra Parichenko
- Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center for Biomaterials, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Wonyeong Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Seonghwan Shin
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Luis Antonio Panes-Ruiz
- Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center for Biomaterials, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Dmitry Belyaev
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme IKTS, Dresden 01109, Germany
| | - Tânia Filipa Custódio
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Hamburg, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany, Notkestraße 85, Hamburg 22607, Germany
| | - Christian Löw
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Hamburg, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany, Notkestraße 85, Hamburg 22607, Germany
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Bergoi Ibarlucea
- Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center for Biomaterials, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Gianaurelio Cuniberti
- Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center for Biomaterials, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01069, Germany
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3
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Stahl P, Kollenda S, Sager J, Schmidt L, Schroer MA, Stauber RH, Epple M, Knauer SK. Tuning Nanobodies' Bioactivity: Coupling to Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles Allows the Intracellular Interference with Survivin. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2300871. [PMID: 37035950 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Nanobodies are highly affine binders, often used to track disease-relevant proteins inside cells. However, they often fail to interfere with pathobiological functions, required for their clinical exploitation. Here, a nanobody targeting the disease-relevant apoptosis inhibitor and mitosis regulator Survivin (SuN) is utilized. Survivin's multifaceted functions are regulated by an interplay of dynamic cellular localization, dimerization, and protein-protein interactions. However, as Survivin harbors no classical "druggable" binding pocket, one must aim at blocking extended protein surface areas. Comprehensive experimental evidence demonstrates that intracellular expression of SuN allows to track Survivin at low nanomolar concentrations but failed to inhibit its biological functions. Small angle X-ray scattering of the Survivin-SuN complex locates the proposed interaction interface between the C-terminus and the globular domain, as such not blocking any pivotal interaction. By clicking multiple SuN to ultrasmall (2 nm) gold nanoparticles (SuN-N), not only intracellular uptake is enabled, but additionally, Survivin crosslinking and interference with mitotic progression in living cells are also enabled. In sum, it is demonstrated that coupling of nanobodies to nanosized scaffolds can be universally applicable to improve their function and therapeutic applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Stahl
- Molecular Biology II, Department of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kollenda
- Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Jonas Sager
- Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Laura Schmidt
- Molecular Biology II, Department of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Martin A Schroer
- Nanoparticle Process Technology, Department of Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstr. 1, 47057, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Roland H Stauber
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Medical Center Mainz (UMM), Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Epple
- Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE) and Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Shirley K Knauer
- Molecular Biology II, Department of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB) and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
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4
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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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5
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Kim WS, Chae HD, Jung I, Lee WK, Lee WJ, Lee J, Gong Y, Lee D, Kim BW, Kim JK, Hwang J, Kweon DH, Jung ST, Na JH. Isolation and characterization of single domain antibodies from banded houndshark (Triakis scyllium) targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 138:108807. [PMID: 37169112 PMCID: PMC10167778 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted human health for three years. To mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the development of neutralizing antibodies has been accelerated, including the exploration of alternative antibody formats such as single-domain antibodies. In this study, we identified new variable antigen receptors (VNARs) specific for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 by immunizing a banded houndshark (Triakis scyllium) with recombinant wild-type RBD. Notably, the CoV2NAR-1 clone showed high binding affinities in the nanomolar range to various RBDs and demonstrated neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses. These results highlight the potential of the banded houndshark as an animal model for the development of VNAR-based therapeutics or diagnostics against future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Sung Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sangji University, Wonju, 26339, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Do Chae
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sangji University, Wonju, 26339, Republic of Korea
| | - Inji Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Kyu Lee
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (Kbiohealth), Chungbuk, 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Jun Lee
- Department of Marine Biology, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Gong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sangji University, Wonju, 26339, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyun Lee
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (Kbiohealth), Chungbuk, 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong-Won Kim
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (Kbiohealth), Chungbuk, 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Koo Kim
- Department of Marine Biology, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehyeon Hwang
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoburo 2066, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hyuk Kweon
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoburo 2066, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung-Hyun Na
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sangji University, Wonju, 26339, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Naidoo DB, Chuturgoon AA. The Potential of Nanobodies for COVID-19 Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:193-226. [PMID: 36656511 PMCID: PMC9850341 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Globally, there have been millions of infections and fatalities. Unfortunately, the virus has been persistent and a contributing factor is the emergence of several variants. The urgency to combat COVID-19 led to the identification/development of various diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction and antigen tests) and treatment (repurposed drugs, convalescent plasma, antibodies and vaccines) options. These treatments may treat mild symptoms and decrease the risk of life-threatening disease. Although these options have been fairly beneficial, there are some challenges and limitations, such as cost of tests/drugs, specificity, large treatment dosages, intravenous administration, need for trained personal, lengthy production time, high manufacturing costs, and limited availability. Therefore, the development of more efficient COVID-19 diagnostic and therapeutic options are vital. Nanobodies (Nbs) are novel monomeric antigen-binding fragments derived from camelid antibodies. Advantages of Nbs include low immunogenicity, high specificity, stability and affinity. These characteristics allow for rapid Nb generation, inexpensive large-scale production, effective storage, and transportation, which is essential during pandemics. Additionally, the potential aerosolization and inhalation delivery of Nbs allows for targeted treatment delivery as well as patient self-administration. Therefore, Nbs are a viable option to target SARS-CoV-2 and overcome COVID-19. In this review we discuss (1) COVID-19; (2) SARS-CoV-2; (3) the present conventional COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, including their challenges and limitations; (4) advantages of Nbs; and (5) the numerous Nbs generated against SARS-CoV-2 as well as their diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhaneshree Bestinee Naidoo
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Howard College, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 4013, South Africa
| | - Anil Amichund Chuturgoon
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Howard College, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
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7
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Shark nanobodies with potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activity and broad sarbecovirus reactivity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:580. [PMID: 36737435 PMCID: PMC9896449 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36106-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite rapid and ongoing vaccine and therapeutic development, SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve and evade, presenting a need for next-generation diverse therapeutic modalities. Here we show that nurse sharks immunized with SARS-CoV-2 recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD), RBD-ferritin (RFN), or spike protein ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN) immunogens elicit a set of new antigen receptor antibody (IgNAR) molecules that target two non-overlapping conserved epitopes on the spike RBD. Representative shark antibody variable NAR-Fc chimeras (ShAbs) targeting either of the two epitopes mediate cell-effector functions, with high affinity to all SARS-CoV-2 viral variants of concern, including the divergent Omicron strains. The ShAbs potently cross-neutralize SARS-CoV-2 WA-1, Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1 and BA.5, and SARS-CoV-1 pseudoviruses, and confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in the K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model. Structural definition of the RBD-ShAb01-ShAb02 complex enabled design and production of multi-specific nanobodies with enhanced neutralization capacity, and picomolar affinity to divergent sarbecovirus clade 1a, 1b and 2 RBD molecules. These shark nanobodies represent potent immunotherapeutics both for current use, and future sarbecovirus pandemic preparation.
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8
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Lei S, Chen X, Wu J, Duan X, Men K. Small molecules in the treatment of COVID-19. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:387. [PMID: 36464706 PMCID: PMC9719906 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a global crisis, and brought severe disruptions to societies and economies. Until now, effective therapeutics against COVID-19 are in high demand. Along with our improved understanding of the structure, function, and pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2, many small molecules with potential anti-COVID-19 effects have been developed. So far, several antiviral strategies were explored. Besides directly inhibition of viral proteins such as RdRp and Mpro, interference of host enzymes including ACE2 and proteases, and blocking relevant immunoregulatory pathways represented by JAK/STAT, BTK, NF-κB, and NLRP3 pathways, are regarded feasible in drug development. The development of small molecules to treat COVID-19 has been achieved by several strategies, including computer-aided lead compound design and screening, natural product discovery, drug repurposing, and combination therapy. Several small molecules representative by remdesivir and paxlovid have been proved or authorized emergency use in many countries. And many candidates have entered clinical-trial stage. Nevertheless, due to the epidemiological features and variability issues of SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to continue exploring novel strategies against COVID-19. This review discusses the current findings in the development of small molecules for COVID-19 treatment. Moreover, their detailed mechanism of action, chemical structures, and preclinical and clinical efficacies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibei Lei
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaohua Chen
- grid.54549.390000 0004 0369 4060Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072 China
| | - Jieping Wu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingmei Duan
- grid.54549.390000 0004 0369 4060Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072 China
| | - Ke Men
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
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9
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Pymm P, Redmond SJ, Dolezal O, Mordant F, Lopez E, Cooney JP, Davidson KC, Haycroft ER, Tan CW, Seneviratna R, Grimley SL, Purcell DF, Kent SJ, Wheatley AK, Wang LF, Leis A, Glukhova A, Pellegrini M, Chung AW, Subbarao K, Uldrich AP, Tham WH, Godfrey DI, Gherardin NA. Biparatopic nanobodies targeting the receptor binding domain efficiently neutralize SARS-CoV-2. iScience 2022; 25:105259. [PMID: 36213007 PMCID: PMC9529347 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of therapeutics to prevent or treat COVID-19 remains an area of intense focus. Protein biologics, including monoclonal antibodies and nanobodies that neutralize virus, have potential for the treatment of active disease. Here, we have used yeast display of a synthetic nanobody library to isolate nanobodies that bind the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralize the virus. We show that combining two clones with distinct binding epitopes within the RBD into a single protein construct to generate biparatopic reagents dramatically enhances their neutralizing capacity. Furthermore, the biparatopic nanobodies exhibit enhanced control over clinically relevant RBD variants that escaped recognition by the individual nanobodies. Structural analysis of biparatopic binding to spike (S) protein revealed a unique binding mode whereby the two nanobody paratopes bridge RBDs encoded by distinct S trimers. Accordingly, biparatopic nanobodies offer a way to rapidly generate powerful viral neutralizers with enhanced ability to control viral escape mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Pymm
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Samuel J. Redmond
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Olan Dolezal
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Biomedical Program, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Francesca Mordant
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Ester Lopez
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - James P. Cooney
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kathryn C. Davidson
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ebene R. Haycroft
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Chee Wah Tan
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Rebecca Seneviratna
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Samantha L. Grimley
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Damian F.J. Purcell
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Kent
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia,Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Adam K. Wheatley
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia,Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Lin-Fa Wang
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Andrew Leis
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Alisa Glukhova
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia,Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville 3052 VIC, Australia,WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Marc Pellegrini
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Amy W. Chung
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Kanta Subbarao
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Adam P. Uldrich
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Dale I. Godfrey
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia,Corresponding author
| | - Nicholas A. Gherardin
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia,Corresponding author
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10
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Arsenal of nanobodies shows broad-spectrum neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in vitro and in vivo in hamster models. Commun Biol 2022; 5:933. [PMID: 36085335 PMCID: PMC9461429 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03866-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies offer several potential advantages over mAbs for the control of SARS-CoV-2. Their ability to access cryptic epitopes conserved across SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs) and feasibility to engineer modular, multimeric designs, make these antibody fragments ideal candidates for developing broad-spectrum therapeutics against current and continually emerging SARS-CoV-2 VoCs. Here we describe a diverse collection of 37 anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein nanobodies extensively characterized as both monovalent and IgG Fc-fused bivalent modalities. The nanobodies were collectively shown to have high intrinsic affinity; high thermal, thermodynamic and aerosolization stability; broad subunit/domain specificity and cross-reactivity across existing VoCs; wide-ranging epitopic and mechanistic diversity and high and broad in vitro neutralization potencies. A select set of Fc-fused nanobodies showed high neutralization efficacies in hamster models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, reducing viral burden by up to six orders of magnitude to below detectable levels. In vivo protection was demonstrated with anti-RBD and previously unreported anti-NTD and anti-S2 nanobodies. This collection of nanobodies provides a potential therapeutic toolbox from which various cocktails or multi-paratopic formats could be built to combat multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. Isolation and extensive characterization of a collection of 37 anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein nanobodies show broad neutralization efficacies in vitro and in vivo in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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11
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Hetero-bivalent nanobodies provide broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern including Omicron. Cell Res 2022; 32:831-842. [PMID: 35906408 PMCID: PMC9334538 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-022-00700-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 variants with adaptive mutations have continued to emerge, causing fresh waves of infection even amongst vaccinated population. The development of broad-spectrum antivirals is thus urgently needed. We previously developed two hetero-bivalent nanobodies (Nbs), aRBD-2-5 and aRBD-2-7, with potent neutralization activity against the wild-type (WT) Wuhan isolated SARS-CoV-2, by fusing aRBD-2 with aRBD-5 and aRBD-7, respectively. Here, we resolved the crystal structures of these Nbs in complex with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, and found that aRBD-2 contacts with highly-conserved RBD residues and retains binding to the RBD of the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Delta plus, Kappa, Lambda, Omicron BA.1, and BA.2 variants. In contrast, aRBD-5 and aRBD-7 bind to less-conserved RBD epitopes non-overlapping with the epitope of aRBD-2, and do not show apparent binding to the RBD of some variants. However, when fused with aRBD-2, they effectively enhance the overall binding affinity. Consistently, aRBD-2-5-Fc and aRBD-2-7-Fc potently neutralized all of the tested authentic or pseudotyped viruses, including WT, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2. Furthermore, aRBD-2-5-Fc provided prophylactic protection against the WT and mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 in mice, and conferred protection against the Omicron BA.1 variant in hamsters prophylactically and therapeutically, indicating that aRBD-2-5-Fc could potentially benefit the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 caused by the emerging variants of concern. Our strategy provides new solutions in the development of broad-spectrum therapeutic antibodies for COVID-19.
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12
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Li T, Zhou B, Luo Z, Lai Y, Huang S, Zhou Y, Li Y, Gautam A, Bourgeau S, Wang S, Bao J, Tan J, Lavillette D, Li D. Structural Characterization of a Neutralizing Nanobody With Broad Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:875840. [PMID: 35722331 PMCID: PMC9201380 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.875840] [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: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, such as the Omicron continue to threaten public health. The virus recognizes the host cell by attaching its Spike (S) receptor-binding domain (RBD) to the host receptor, ACE2. Therefore, RBD is a primary target for neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. Here, we report the isolation and biological and structural characterization of a single-chain antibody (nanobody) from RBD-immunized alpaca. The nanobody, named DL28, binds to RBD tightly with a KD of 1.56 nM and neutralizes the original SARS-CoV-2 strain with an IC50 of 0.41 μg mL−1. Neutralization assays with a panel of variants of concern (VOCs) reveal its wide-spectrum activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.35 to 1.66 μg mL−1 for the Alpha/Beta/Gamma/Delta and an IC50 of 0.66 μg mL−1 for the currently prevalent Omicron. Competition binding assays show that DL28 blocks ACE2-binding. However, structural characterizations and mutagenesis suggest that unlike most antibodies, the blockage by DL28 does not involve direct competition or steric hindrance. Rather, DL28 may use a “conformation competition” mechanism where it excludes ACE2 by keeping an RBD loop in a conformation incompatible with ACE2-binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingjie Zhou
- University of CAS, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhipu Luo
- Institute of Molecular Enzymology, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yanling Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Suqiong Huang
- University of CAS, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuanze Zhou
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Yaning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Anupriya Gautam
- University of CAS, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Salome Bourgeau
- University of CAS, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, École des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Shurui Wang
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingquan Tan
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Dimitri Lavillette
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China.,Pasteurien College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Dianfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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13
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Mahmud N, Anik MI, Hossain MK, Khan MI, Uddin S, Ashrafuzzaman M, Rahaman MM. Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Platforms to Combat COVID-19: Diagnostics, Preventions, Therapeutics, and Vaccine Developments. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:2431-2460. [PMID: 35583460 PMCID: PMC9128020 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2, a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that emerged less than two years ago but has caused nearly 6.1 million deaths to date. Recently developed variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been shown to be more potent and expanded at a faster rate. Until now, there is no specific and effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 in terms of reliable and sustainable recovery. Precaution, prevention, and vaccinations are the only ways to keep the pandemic situation under control. Medical and scientific professionals are now focusing on the repurposing of previous technology and trying to develop more fruitful methodologies to detect the presence of viruses, treat the patients, precautionary items, and vaccine developments. Nanomedicine or nanobased platforms can play a crucial role in these fronts. Researchers are working on many effective approaches by nanosized particles to combat SARS-CoV-2. The role of a nanobased platform to combat SARS-CoV-2 is extremely diverse (i.e., mark to personal protective suit, rapid diagnostic tool to targeted treatment, and vaccine developments). Although there are many theoretical possibilities of a nanobased platform to combat SARS-CoV-2, until now there is an inadequate number of research targeting SARS-CoV-2 to explore such scenarios. This unique mini-review aims to compile and elaborate on the recent advances of nanobased approaches from prevention, diagnostics, treatment to vaccine developments against SARS-CoV-2, and associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niaz Mahmud
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Military Institute of Science and Technology, Dhaka 1216,
Bangladesh
| | - Muzahidul I. Anik
- Department of Chemical Engineering,
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881,
United States
| | - M. Khalid Hossain
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering
Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 816-8580,
Japan
- Atomic Energy Research Establishment,
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka 1349,
Bangladesh
| | - Md Ishak Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United
States
| | - Shihab Uddin
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of
Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395,
Japan
- Department of Chemical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Md. Ashrafuzzaman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Military Institute of Science and Technology, Dhaka 1216,
Bangladesh
| | - Md Mushfiqur Rahaman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU
Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, United
States
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14
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Li T, Zhou B, Li Y, Huang S, Luo Z, Zhou Y, Lai Y, Gautam A, Bourgeau S, Wang S, Bao J, Tan J, Lavillette D, Li D. Isolation, characterization, and structure-based engineering of a neutralizing nanobody against SARS-CoV-2. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 209:1379-1388. [PMID: 35460753 PMCID: PMC9020654 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 engages with human cells through the binding of its Spike receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) to the receptor ACE2. Molecular blocking of this engagement represents a proven strategy to treat COVID-19. Here, we report a single-chain antibody (nanobody, DL4) isolated from immunized alpaca with picomolar affinity to RBD. DL4 neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses with an IC50 of 0.101 μg mL-1 (6.2 nM). A crystal structure of the DL4-RBD complex at 1.75-Å resolution unveils the interaction detail and reveals a direct competition mechanism for DL4's ACE2-blocking and hence neutralizing activity. The structural information allows us to rationally design a mutant with higher potency. Our work adds diversity of neutralizing nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 and should encourage protein engineering to improve antibody affinities in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Bingjie Zhou
- University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yaning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200030, China,University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Suqiong Huang
- University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China,College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Zhipu Luo
- Institute of Molecular Enzymology, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yuanze Zhou
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Yanling Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200030, China,University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Anupriya Gautam
- University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Salome Bourgeau
- University of CAS, Beijing 101408, China,CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, École des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail, Université de Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Shurui Wang
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jingquan Tan
- Nanjing Crycision Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Dimitri Lavillette
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Pasteurien College, Soochow University, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Dianfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
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15
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Walter JD, Scherer M, Hutter CAJ, Garaeva AA, Zimmermann I, Wyss M, Rheinberger J, Ruedin Y, Earp JC, Egloff P, Sorgenfrei M, Hürlimann LM, Gonda I, Meier G, Remm S, Thavarasah S, van Geest G, Bruggmann R, Zimmer G, Slotboom DJ, Paulino C, Plattet P, Seeger MA. Biparatopic sybodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and mitigate drug resistance. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54199. [PMID: 35253970 PMCID: PMC8982573 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202154199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic represents an unprecedented global health crisis. Here, we report the identification of a synthetic nanobody (sybody) pair, Sb#15 and Sb#68, that can bind simultaneously to the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike RBD and efficiently neutralize pseudotyped and live viruses by interfering with ACE2 interaction. Cryo‐EM confirms that Sb#15 and Sb#68 engage two spatially discrete epitopes, influencing rational design of bispecific and tri‐bispecific fusion constructs that exhibit up to 100‐ and 1,000‐fold increase in neutralization potency, respectively. Cryo‐EM of the sybody‐spike complex additionally reveals a novel up‐out RBD conformation. While resistant viruses emerge rapidly in the presence of single binders, no escape variants are observed in the presence of the bispecific sybody. The multivalent bispecific constructs further increase the neutralization potency against globally circulating SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern. Our study illustrates the power of multivalency and biparatopic nanobody fusions for the potential development of therapeutic strategies that mitigate the emergence of new SARS‐CoV‐2 escape mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D Walter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Scherer
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cedric A J Hutter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alisa A Garaeva
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Membrane Enzymology at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Iwan Zimmermann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Linkster Therapeutics AG, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marianne Wyss
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- Department of Structural Biology at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yelena Ruedin
- Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern & Mittelhäusern, Switzerland.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer C Earp
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Egloff
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Linkster Therapeutics AG, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michèle Sorgenfrei
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lea M Hürlimann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Imre Gonda
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gianmarco Meier
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sille Remm
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sujani Thavarasah
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Geert van Geest
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Bruggmann
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gert Zimmer
- Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern & Mittelhäusern, Switzerland.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dirk J Slotboom
- Department of Membrane Enzymology at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cristina Paulino
- Department of Membrane Enzymology at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Structural Biology at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Plattet
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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16
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Verkhivker G. Structural and Computational Studies of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Binding Mechanisms with Nanobodies: From Structure and Dynamics to Avidity-Driven Nanobody Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062928. [PMID: 35328351 PMCID: PMC8951411 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies provide important advantages over traditional antibodies, including their smaller size and robust biochemical properties such as high thermal stability, high solubility, and the ability to be bioengineered into novel multivalent, multi-specific, and high-affinity molecules, making them a class of emerging powerful therapies against SARS-CoV-2. Recent research efforts on the design, protein engineering, and structure-functional characterization of nanobodies and their binding with SARS-CoV-2 S proteins reflected a growing realization that nanobody combinations can exploit distinct binding epitopes and leverage the intrinsic plasticity of the conformational landscape for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein to produce efficient neutralizing and mutation resistant characteristics. Structural and computational studies have also been instrumental in quantifying the structure, dynamics, and energetics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with nanobodies. In this review, a comprehensive analysis of the current structural, biophysical, and computational biology investigations of SARS-CoV-2 S proteins and their complexes with distinct classes of nanobodies targeting different binding sites is presented. The analysis of computational studies is supplemented by an in-depth examination of mutational scanning simulations and identification of binding energy hotspots for distinct nanobody classes. The review is focused on the analysis of mechanisms underlying synergistic binding of multivalent nanobodies that can be superior to single nanobodies and conventional nanobody cocktails in combating escape mutations by effectively leveraging binding avidity and allosteric cooperativity. We discuss how structural insights and protein engineering approaches together with computational biology tools can aid in the rational design of synergistic combinations that exhibit superior binding and neutralization characteristics owing to avidity-mediated mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; ; Tel.: +1-714-516-4586
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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17
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Outlook of therapeutic and diagnostic competency of nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review. Anal Biochem 2022; 640:114546. [PMID: 34995616 PMCID: PMC8730734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) continues to infect humans, and no completely efficient treatment has yet been found. Antibody therapy is one way to control infection caused by COVID-19, but the use of classical antibodies has many disadvantages. Heavy chain antibodies (HCAbs) are single-domain antibodies derived from the Camelidae family. The variable part of these antibodies (Nanobodies or VHH) has interesting properties such as small size, identify criptic epitopes, stability in harsh conditions, good tissue permeability and cost-effective production causing nanobodies have become a good candidate in the treatment and diagnosis of viral infections. METHODS Totally 157 records (up to November 10, 2021), were recognized to be reviewed in this study. 62 studies were removed after first step screening due to their deviation from inclusion criteria. The remaining 95 studies were reviewed in details. After removing articles that were not in the study area, 45 remaining studies met the inclusion criteria and were qualified to be included in the systematic review. RESULTS In this systematic review, the application of nanobodies in the treatment and detection of COVID-19 infection was reviewed. The results of this study showed that extensive and sufficient studies have been performed in the field of production of nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus and the obtained nanobodies have a great potential for use in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. CONCLUSION According to the obtained results, it was found that nanobodies can be used effectively in the treatment and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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18
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Saied AA, Metwally AA, Alobo M, Shah J, Sharun K, Dhama K. Bovine-derived antibodies and camelid-derived nanobodies as biotherapeutic weapons against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants: A review article. Int J Surg 2022; 98:106233. [PMID: 35065260 PMCID: PMC8768012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected 305 million individuals worldwide and killed about 5.5 million people as of January 10, 2022. SARS-CoV-2 is the third major outbreak caused by a new coronavirus in the previous two decades, following SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Even though vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is considered a critical strategy for preventing virus spread in the population and limiting COVID-19 clinical manifestations, new therapeutic drugs, and management strategies are urgently needed, particularly in light of the growing number of SARS-CoV-2 variants (such as Delta and Omicron variants). However, the use of conventional antibodies has faced many challenges, such as viral escape mutants, increased instability, weak binding, large sizes, the need for large amounts of plasma, and high-cost manufacturing. Furthermore, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants in the human population and recurrent coronavirus spillovers highlight the need for broadly neutralizing antibodies that are not affected by an antigenic drift that could limit future zoonotic infection. Bovine-derived antibodies and camelid-derived nanobodies are more potent and protective than conventional human antibodies, thanks to their inbuilt characteristics, and can be produced in large quantities. In addition, it was reported that these biotherapeutics are effective against a broad spectrum of epitopes, reducing the opportunity of viral pathogens to develop mutational escape. In this review, we focus on the potential benefits behind our rationale for using bovine-derived antibodies and camelid-derived nanobodies in countering SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants and mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- AbdulRahman A. Saied
- Department of Food Establishments Licensing (Aswan Branch), National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), Aswan, 81511, Egypt,Touristic Activities and Interior Offices Sector (Aswan Office), Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Aswan, 81511, Egypt,Corresponding author. Department of Food Establishments Licensing (Aswan Branch), National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), Aswan, 81511, Egypt
| | - Asmaa A. Metwally
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, 81511, Egypt,Corresponding author. Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Moses Alobo
- Grand Challenges Africa, Science for Africa Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jaffer Shah
- Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan
| | - Khan Sharun
- Division of Surgery, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
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19
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Obeng EM, Dzuvor CKO, Danquah MK. Anti-SARS-CoV-1 and -2 nanobody engineering towards avidity-inspired therapeutics. NANO TODAY 2022; 42:101350. [PMID: 34840592 PMCID: PMC8608585 DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2021.101350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, the emergence of coronavirus diseases has been dire distress on both continental and global fronts and has resulted in the search for potent treatment strategies. One crucial challenge in this search is the recurrent mutations in the causative virus spike protein, which lead to viral escape issues. Among the current promising therapeutic discoveries is the use of nanobodies and nanobody-like molecules. While these nanobodies have demonstrated high-affinity interaction with the virus, the unpredictable spike mutations have warranted the need for avidity-inspired therapeutics of potent inhibitors such as nanobodies. This article discusses novel approaches for the design of anti-SARS-CoV-1 and -2 nanobodies to facilitate advanced innovations in treatment technologies. It further discusses molecular interactions and suggests multivalent protein nanotechnology and chemistry approaches to translate mere molecular affinity into avidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene M Obeng
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Christian K O Dzuvor
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Michael K Danquah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga 615 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37403, United States
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20
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Wang J, Kang G, Yuan H, Cao X, Huang H, de Marco A. Research Progress and Applications of Multivalent, Multispecific and Modified Nanobodies for Disease Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 12:838082. [PMID: 35116045 PMCID: PMC8804282 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.838082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant antibodies such as nanobodies are progressively demonstrating to be a valid alternative to conventional monoclonal antibodies also for clinical applications. Furthermore, they do not solely represent a substitute for monoclonal antibodies but their unique features allow expanding the applications of biotherapeutics and changes the pattern of disease treatment. Nanobodies possess the double advantage of being small and simple to engineer. This combination has promoted extremely diversified approaches to design nanobody-based constructs suitable for particular applications. Both the format geometry possibilities and the functionalization strategies have been widely explored to provide macromolecules with better efficacy with respect to single nanobodies or their combination. Nanobody multimers and nanobody-derived reagents were developed to image and contrast several cancer diseases and have shown their effectiveness in animal models. Their capacity to block more independent signaling pathways simultaneously is considered a critical advantage to avoid tumor resistance, whereas the mass of these multimeric compounds still remains significantly smaller than that of an IgG, enabling deeper penetration in solid tumors. When applied to CAR-T cell therapy, nanobodies can effectively improve the specificity by targeting multiple epitopes and consequently reduce the side effects. This represents a great potential in treating malignant lymphomas, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma and solid tumors. Apart from cancer treatment, multispecific drugs and imaging reagents built with nanobody blocks have demonstrated their value also for detecting and tackling neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, and infectious diseases and as antidotes for toxins. In particular, multi-paratopic nanobody-based constructs have been developed recently as drugs for passive immunization against SARS-CoV-2 with the goal of impairing variant survival due to resistance to antibodies targeting single epitopes. Given the enormous research activity in the field, it can be expected that more and more multimeric nanobody molecules will undergo late clinical trials in the next future. Systematic Review Registration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiewen Wang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guangbo Kang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haibin Yuan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaocang Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ario de Marco
- Laboratory for Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
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21
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Abstract
The spike protein (S-protein) of SARS-CoV-2, the protein that enables the virus to infect human cells, is the basis for many vaccines and a hotspot of concerning virus evolution. Here, we discuss the outstanding progress in structural characterization of the S-protein and how these structures facilitate analysis of virus function and evolution. We emphasize the differences in reported structures and that analysis of structure-function relationships is sensitive to the structure used. We show that the average residue solvent exposure in nearly complete structures is a good descriptor of open vs closed conformation states. Because of structural heterogeneity of functionally important surface-exposed residues, we recommend using averages of a group of high-quality protein structures rather than a single structure before reaching conclusions on specific structure-function relationships. To illustrate these points, we analyze some significant chemical tendencies of prominent S-protein mutations in the context of the available structures. In the discussion of new variants, we emphasize the selectivity of binding to ACE2 vs prominent antibodies rather than simply the antibody escape or ACE2 affinity separately. We note that larger chemical changes, in particular increased electrostatic charge or side-chain volume of exposed surface residues, are recurring in mutations of concern, plausibly related to adaptation to the negative surface potential of human ACE2. We also find indications that the fixated mutations of the S-protein in the main variants are less destabilizing than would be expected on average, possibly pointing toward a selection pressure on the S-protein. The richness of available structures for all of these situations provides an enormously valuable basis for future research into these structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukmankesh Mehra
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute
of Technology Bhilai, Sejbahar, Raipur 492015, Chhattisgarh,
India
| | - Kasper P. Kepp
- DTU Chemistry, Technical University of
Denmark, Building 206, 2800 Kongens Lyngby,
Denmark
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22
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Zebardast A, Hosseini P, Hasanzadeh A, latifi T. The role of single-domain antibodies (or nanobodies) in SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:647-656. [PMID: 34648139 PMCID: PMC8514607 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06819-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), a newly emerging of coronavirus, continues to infect humans in the absence of a viable treatment. Neutralizing antibodies that disrupt the interaction of RBD and ACE2 has been under the spotlight as a way of developing the COVID-19 treatment. Some animals, such as llamas, manufacture heavy-chain antibodies that have a single variable domain (VHH) instead of two variable domains (VH/VL) as opposed to typical antibodies. Nanobodies are antigen-specific, single-domain, changeable segments of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies that are recombinantly produced. These types of antibodies exhibit a wide range of strong physical and chemical properties, like high solubility, and stability. The VHH's high-affinity attachment to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) allowed the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2. To tackle COVID-19, some nanobodies are being developed against SARS-CoV-2, some of which have been recently included in clinical trials. Nanobody therapy may be useful in managing the COVID-19 pandemic as a potent and low-cost treatment. This paper describes the application of nanobodies as a new class of recombinant antibodies in COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghavan Zebardast
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Student Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parastoo Hosseini
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Hasanzadeh
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Golestan, Iran
| | - Tayebeh latifi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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23
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Esparza TJ, Chen Y, Martin NP, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Bowen RA, Tolbert WD, Pazgier M, Brody DL. Nebulized delivery of a broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific nanobody prevents clinical, virological, and pathological disease in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19. MAbs 2022; 14:2047144. [PMID: 35289719 PMCID: PMC8928829 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2022.2047144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There remains an unmet need for globally deployable, low-cost therapeutics for the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Previously, we reported on the isolation and in vitro characterization of a potent single-domain nanobody, NIH-CoVnb-112, specific for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report on the molecular basis for the observed broad in vitro neutralization capability of NIH-CoVnb-112 against variant SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses. The structure of NIH-CoVnb-112 bound to SARS-CoV-2 RBD reveals a large contact surface area overlapping the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding site, which is largely unencumbered by the common RBD mutations. In an in vivo pilot study, we demonstrate effective reductions in weight loss, viral burden, and lung pathology in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19 following nebulized delivery of NIH-CoVnb-112. These findings support the further development of NIH-CoVnb-112 as a potential adjunct preventative therapeutic for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Abbreviations: ACE2 - angiotensin converting enzyme 2BSA - buried surface areaCDR - complementary determining regionRBD - receptor binding domainRBM - receptor-binding motifSARS-CoV-2 - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Esparza
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yaozong Chen
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Negin P Martin
- Viral Vector Core, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, NC, USA.,Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, NC, USA
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Richard A Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - William D Tolbert
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David L Brody
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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24
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Robinson SA, Raybould MIJ, Schneider C, Wong WK, Marks C, Deane CM. Epitope profiling using computational structural modelling demonstrated on coronavirus-binding antibodies. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009675. [PMID: 34898603 PMCID: PMC8700021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the epitope of an antibody is a key step in understanding its function and its potential as a therapeutic. Sequence-based clonal clustering can identify antibodies with similar epitope complementarity, however, antibodies from markedly different lineages but with similar structures can engage the same epitope. We describe a novel computational method for epitope profiling based on structural modelling and clustering. Using the method, we demonstrate that sequence dissimilar but functionally similar antibodies can be found across the Coronavirus Antibody Database, with high accuracy (92% of antibodies in multiple-occupancy structural clusters bind to consistent domains). Our approach functionally links antibodies with distinct genetic lineages, species origins, and coronavirus specificities. This indicates greater convergence exists in the immune responses to coronaviruses than is suggested by sequence-based approaches. Our results show that applying structural analytics to large class-specific antibody databases will enable high confidence structure-function relationships to be drawn, yielding new opportunities to identify functional convergence hitherto missed by sequence-only analysis. Antibodies are a key component of the immune system that combat pathogens by binding to a defined region of their molecular surface (known as an ‘epitope’). The ability to map which antibodies target the same epitopes is crucial when designing non-competing antibody therapeutics or predicting the influence of pathogen mutation on population immunity. While one can use laboratory experiments to deduce when pairs of antibodies engage the same epitope, such experiments are very expensive and time consuming if used to compare on the order of thousands of antibodies. In this work, we report a new computational algorithm (SPACE) that clusters antibodies that target the same epitope based on their predicted 3D structure, as binding site structure is a property often conserved between binders complementary to the same epitope. Unlike existing antibody epitope profiling tools which assume two antibodies must share a high sequence identity/similar genetic basis to engage the same region, our orthogonal method can detect broader patterns of convergent evolution across binders to different pathogen strains, and between antibodies with different genetic and even species origins.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/chemistry
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/genetics
- Antibodies, Viral/chemistry
- Antibodies, Viral/genetics
- Antibodies, Viral/metabolism
- Antibody Specificity
- Antigen-Antibody Complex/chemistry
- Antigen-Antibody Complex/genetics
- Antigen-Antibody Reactions/genetics
- Antigen-Antibody Reactions/immunology
- Antigens, Viral/chemistry
- COVID-19/immunology
- COVID-19/virology
- Computational Biology
- Coronavirus/chemistry
- Coronavirus/genetics
- Coronavirus/immunology
- Databases, Chemical
- Epitope Mapping
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/chemistry
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Humans
- Mice
- Models, Molecular
- Pandemics
- SARS-CoV-2/chemistry
- SARS-CoV-2/genetics
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Single-Domain Antibodies/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Robinson
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew I J Raybould
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Constantin Schneider
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wing Ki Wong
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Marks
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte M Deane
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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25
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Li T, Cai H, Zhao Y, Li Y, Lai Y, Yao H, Liu LD, Sun Z, van Vlissingen MF, Kuiken T, GeurtsvanKessel CH, Zhang N, Zhou B, Lu L, Gong Y, Qin W, Mondal M, Duan B, Xu S, Richard AS, Raoul H, Chen J, Xu C, Wu L, Zhou H, Huang Z, Zhang X, Li J, Wang Y, Bi Y, Rockx B, Chen J, Meng F, Lavillette D, Li D. Uncovering a conserved vulnerability site in SARS-CoV-2 by a human antibody. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e14544. [PMID: 34672091 PMCID: PMC8646660 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential step for SARS-CoV-2 infection is the attachment to the host cell receptor by its Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Most of the existing RBD-targeting neutralizing antibodies block the receptor-binding motif (RBM), a mutable region with the potential to generate neutralization escape mutants. Here, we isolated and structurally characterized a non-RBM-targeting monoclonal antibody (FD20) from convalescent patients. FD20 engages the RBD at an epitope distal to the RBM with a KD of 5.6 nM, neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 including the current Variants of Concern such as B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617.2 (Delta), displays modest cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV, and reduces viral replication in hamsters. The epitope coincides with a predicted "ideal" vulnerability site with high functional and structural constraints. Mutation of the residues of the conserved epitope variably affects FD20-binding but confers little or no resistance to neutralization. Finally, in vitro mode-of-action characterization and negative-stain electron microscopy suggest a neutralization mechanism by which FD20 destructs the Spike. Our results reveal a conserved vulnerability site in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike for the development of potential antiviral drugs.
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26
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Esparza TJ, Chen Y, Martin NP, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Bowen RA, Tolbert WD, Pazgier M, Brody DL. Nebulized delivery of a broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific nanobody prevents clinical, virological and pathological disease in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.11.10.468147. [PMID: 34790977 PMCID: PMC8597880 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.10.468147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
There remains an unmet need for globally deployable, low-cost therapeutics for the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Previously, we reported on the isolation and in vitro characterization of a potent single-domain nanobody, NIH-CoVnb-112, specific for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report on the molecular basis for the observed broad in vitro neutralization capability of NIH-CoVnb-112 against variant SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses, including the currently dominant Delta variant. The structure of NIH-CoVnb-112 bound to SARS-CoV-2 RBD reveals a large contact surface area overlapping the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding site, which is largely unencumbered by the common RBD mutations. In an in vivo pilot study, we demonstrate effective reductions in weight loss, viral burden, and lung pathology in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19 following nebulized delivery of NIH-CoVnb-112. These findings support the further development of NIH-CoVnb-112 as a potential adjunct preventative therapeutic for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Esparza
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
| | - Yaozong Chen
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA 20814
| | - Negin P. Martin
- Viral Vector Core, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Richard A. Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - William D. Tolbert
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA 20814
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA 20814
| | - David L. Brody
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
- Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA 20814
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27
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Tang Q, Owens RJ, Naismith JH. Structural Biology of Nanobodies against the Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112214. [PMID: 34835020 PMCID: PMC8625641 DOI: 10.3390/v13112214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies are 130 amino acid single-domain antibodies (VHH) derived from the unique heavy-chain-only subclass of Camelid immunogloblins. Their small molecular size, facile expression, high affinity and stability have combined to make them unique targeting reagents with numerous applications in the biomedical sciences. The first nanobody agent has now entered the clinic as a treatment against a blood disorder. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has seen the global scientific endeavour work to accelerate the development of technologies to try to defeat a pandemic that has now killed over four million people. In a remarkably short period of time, multiple studies have reported nanobodies directed against the viral Spike protein. Several agents have been tested in culture and demonstrate potent neutralisation of the virus or pseudovirus. A few agents have completed animal trials with very encouraging results showing their potential for treating infection. Here, we discuss the structural features that guide the nanobody recognition of the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilong Tang
- Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK;
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Raymond J. Owens
- Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK;
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Correspondence: (R.J.O.); (J.H.N.)
| | - James H. Naismith
- Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK;
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Correspondence: (R.J.O.); (J.H.N.)
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28
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Havranek B, Chan KK, Wu A, Procko E, Islam SM. Computationally Designed ACE2 Decoy Receptor Binds SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) Protein with Tight Nanomolar Affinity. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4656-4669. [PMID: 34427448 PMCID: PMC8409145 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Even with the availability of vaccines, therapeutic options for COVID-19 still remain highly desirable, especially in hospitalized patients with moderate or severe disease. Soluble ACE2 (sACE2) is a promising therapeutic candidate that neutralizes SARS CoV-2 infection by acting as a decoy. Using computational mutagenesis, we designed a number of sACE2 derivatives carrying three to four mutations. The top-predicted sACE2 decoy based on the in silico mutagenesis scan was subjected to molecular dynamics and free-energy calculations for further validation. After illuminating the mechanism of increased binding for our designed sACE2 derivative, the design was verified experimentally by flow cytometry and BLI-binding experiments. The computationally designed sACE2 decoy (ACE2-FFWF) bound the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 tightly with low nanomolar affinity and ninefold affinity enhancement over the wild type. Furthermore, cell surface expression was slightly greater than wild-type ACE2, suggesting that the design is well-folded and stable. Having an arsenal of high-affinity sACE2 derivatives will help to buffer against the emergence of SARS CoV-2 variants. Here, we show that computational methods have become sufficiently accurate for the design of therapeutics for current and future viral pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Havranek
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United
States
| | - Kui K. Chan
- Orthogonal Biologics Inc.,
Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Austin Wu
- Department of Computer Science,
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208,
United States
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Center at
Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801,
United States
| | - Shahidul M. Islam
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United
States
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29
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Li T, Cai H, Yao H, Zhou B, Zhang N, van Vlissingen MF, Kuiken T, Han W, GeurtsvanKessel CH, Gong Y, Zhao Y, Shen Q, Qin W, Tian XX, Peng C, Lai Y, Wang Y, Hutter CAJ, Kuo SM, Bao J, Liu C, Wang Y, Richard AS, Raoul H, Lan J, Seeger MA, Cong Y, Rockx B, Wong G, Bi Y, Lavillette D, Li D. A synthetic nanobody targeting RBD protects hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4635. [PMID: 34330908 PMCID: PMC8324831 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24905-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-191, features a receptor-binding domain (RBD) for binding to the host cell ACE2 protein1-6. Neutralizing antibodies that block RBD-ACE2 interaction are candidates for the development of targeted therapeutics7-17. Llama-derived single-domain antibodies (nanobodies, ~15 kDa) offer advantages in bioavailability, amenability, and production and storage owing to their small sizes and high stability. Here, we report the rapid selection of 99 synthetic nanobodies (sybodies) against RBD by in vitro selection using three libraries. The best sybody, MR3 binds to RBD with high affinity (KD = 1.0 nM) and displays high neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses (IC50 = 0.42 μg mL-1). Structural, biochemical, and biological characterization suggests a common neutralizing mechanism, in which the RBD-ACE2 interaction is competitively inhibited by sybodies. Various forms of sybodies with improved potency have been generated by structure-based design, biparatopic construction, and divalent engineering. Two divalent forms of MR3 protect hamsters from clinical signs after live virus challenge and a single dose of the Fc-fusion construct of MR3 reduces viral RNA load by 6 Log10. Our results pave the way for the development of therapeutic nanobodies against COVID-19 and present a strategy for rapid development of targeted medical interventions during an outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Hongmin Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Hebang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Bingjie Zhou
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID), CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Martje Fentener van Vlissingen
- Erasmus Laboratory Animal Science Center, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wenyu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Corine H GeurtsvanKessel
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Yuhuan Gong
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID), CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Yapei Zhao
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID), CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Wenming Qin
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (Zhangjiang Laboratory), CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Xu Tian
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (Zhangjiang Laboratory), CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Peng
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (Zhangjiang Laboratory), CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanling Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Yanxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Cedric A J Hutter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shu-Ming Kuo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Caixuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Audrey S Richard
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
| | - Hervé Raoul
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
| | - Jiaming Lan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yao Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Barry Rockx
- European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA-AISBL), Paris, France
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gary Wong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China.
- Département de microbiologie-infectiologie et d'immunologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Yuhai Bi
- University of CAS, Beijing, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID), CAS, Beijing, China.
| | - Dimitri Lavillette
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China.
- Pasteurien College, Soochow University, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Dianfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
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30
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Valdez-Cruz NA, García-Hernández E, Espitia C, Cobos-Marín L, Altamirano C, Bando-Campos CG, Cofas-Vargas LF, Coronado-Aceves EW, González-Hernández RA, Hernández-Peralta P, Juárez-López D, Ortega-Portilla PA, Restrepo-Pineda S, Zelada-Cordero P, Trujillo-Roldán MA. Integrative overview of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and their possible applications in COVID-19 prophylaxis and treatment. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:88. [PMID: 33888152 PMCID: PMC8061467 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01576-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a novel β-coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic disease, which spread rapidly, infecting more than 134 million people, and killing almost 2.9 million thus far. Based on the urgent need for therapeutic and prophylactic strategies, the identification and characterization of antibodies has been accelerated, since they have been fundamental in treating other viral diseases. Here, we summarized in an integrative manner the present understanding of the immune response and physiopathology caused by SARS-CoV-2, including the activation of the humoral immune response in SARS-CoV-2 infection and therefore, the synthesis of antibodies. Furthermore, we also discussed about the antibodies that can be generated in COVID-19 convalescent sera and their associated clinical studies, including a detailed characterization of a variety of human antibodies and identification of antibodies from other sources, which have powerful neutralizing capacities. Accordingly, the development of effective treatments to mitigate COVID-19 is expected. Finally, we reviewed the challenges faced in producing potential therapeutic antibodies and nanobodies by cell factories at an industrial level while ensuring their quality, efficacy, and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma A Valdez-Cruz
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
| | - Enrique García-Hernández
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Clara Espitia
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Laura Cobos-Marín
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Claudia Altamirano
- Escuela de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Av. Brasil N° 2950, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Carlos G Bando-Campos
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Luis F Cofas-Vargas
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Enrique W Coronado-Aceves
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ricardo A González-Hernández
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Pablo Hernández-Peralta
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Daniel Juárez-López
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Paola A Ortega-Portilla
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Sara Restrepo-Pineda
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Patricio Zelada-Cordero
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Mauricio A Trujillo-Roldán
- Programa de Investigación de Producción de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
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