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Ábrahám E, Bajusz C, Marton A, Borics A, Mdluli T, Pardi N, Lipinszki Z. Expression and purification of the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in mammalian cells for immunological assays. FEBS Open Bio 2024; 14:380-389. [PMID: 38129177 PMCID: PMC10909970 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13754] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 virus mediates the interaction with the host cell and is required for virus internalization. It is, therefore, the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. The receptor-binding domain soon became the major target for COVID-19 research and the development of diagnostic tools and new-generation vaccines. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for high-yield expression and one-step affinity purification of recombinant RBD from transiently transfected Expi293F cells. Expi293F mammalian cells can be grown to extremely high densities in a specially formulated serum-free medium in suspension cultures, which makes them an excellent tool for secreted protein production. The highly purified RBD is glycosylated, structurally intact, and forms homomeric complexes. With this quick and easy method, we are able to produce large quantities of RBD (80 mg·L-1 culture) that we have successfully used in immunological assays to examine antibody titers and seroconversion after mRNA-based vaccination of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edit Ábrahám
- MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Csaba Bajusz
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Annamária Marton
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Attila Borics
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Thandiswa Mdluli
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Zoltán Lipinszki
- MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
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Zhang D, Kukkar D, Kim KH, Bhatt P. A comprehensive review on immunogen and immune-response proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and their applications in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 259:129284. [PMID: 38211928 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) prompts humoral immune responses in the human body. As the auxiliary diagnosis of a current infection, the existence of viral proteins can be checked from specific antibodies (Abs) induced by immunogenic viral proteins. For people with a weakened immune system, Ab treatment can help neutralize viral antigens to resist and treat the disease. On the other hand, highly immunogenic viral proteins can serve as effective markers for detecting prior infections. Additionally, the identification of viral particles or the presence of antibodies may help establish an immune defense against the virus. These immunogenic proteins rather than SARS-CoV-2 can be given to uninfected people as a vaccination to improve their coping ability against COVID-19 through the generation of memory plasma cells. In this work, we review immunogenic and immune-response proteins derived from SARS-CoV-2 with regard to their classification, origin, and diverse applications (e.g., prevention (vaccine development), diagnostic testing, and treatment (via neutralizing Abs)). Finally, advanced immunization strategies against COVID-19 are discussed along with the contemporary circumstances and future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohong Zhang
- College of Food Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, Shandong, China; Bio-Nanotechnology Research Institute, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, Shandong, China
| | - Deepak Kukkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India; University Center for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Poornima Bhatt
- Department of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India; University Center for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India
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Fischl MJ, Young J, Kardos K, Roehler M, Miller T, Wooten M, Holmes N, Gula N, Baglivo M, Steen J, Zelenz N, Joyee AG, Munster V, Weishampel Z, Yinda CK, Rouse KG, Gvozden C, Wever D, Yanez G, Anderson M, Yu S, Bearie B, Young S, Berry JD. Development and Clinical Performance of InteliSwab ® COVID-19 Rapid Test: Evaluation of Antigen Test for the Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and Analytical Sensitivity to Detect Variants of Concern Including Omicron and Subvariants. Viruses 2023; 16:61. [PMID: 38257761 PMCID: PMC10821026 DOI: 10.3390/v16010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Timely detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection with subsequent contact tracing and rapid isolation are considered critical to containing the pandemic, which continues with the emergence of new variants. Hence, there is an ongoing need for reliable point-of-care antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT). This report describes the development, evaluation, and analytical sensitivity of the diagnostic performance of the InteliSwab® COVID-19 Rapid Test. Methods: Samples from 165 symptomatic subjects were tested with InteliSwab® and the results were compared to RT-PCR to determine the antigen test performance. The analytical sensitivity of InteliSwab® for the detection of different variants was assessed by limit of detection (LOD) determination using recombinant nucleocapsid proteins (NPs) and testing with virus isolates. Western immunoblot independently confirmed that each monoclonal Ab is capable of binding to all variants tested thus far. RESULTS The overall positivity rate by RT-PCR was 37% for the 165 symptomatic subjects. Based on RT-PCR results as the reference standard, InteliSwab® showed clinical sensitivity and specificity of 85.2% (95% CI, 74.3-92.0%) and 98.1% (95% CI, 93.3-99.7%), respectively. The overall agreement was 93.3% (Kappa index value 0.85; 95% CI, 0.77-0.74) between RT-PCR and InteliSwab® test results. Furthermore, the evaluation of analytical sensitivity for different SARS-CoV-2 variants by InteliSwab® was comparable in the detection of all the variants tested, including Omicron subvariants, BA.4, BA.5, and BQ.1. CONCLUSIONS Due to the surge of infections caused by different variants from time to time, there is a critical need to evaluate the sensitivity of rapid antigen-detecting tests for new variants. The study findings showed the robust diagnostic performance of InteliSwab® and analytical sensitivity in detecting different SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron subvariants. With the integrated swab and excellent sensitivity and variant detection, this test has high potential as a point-of-care Ag-RDT in various settings when molecular assays are in limited supply and rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J. Fischl
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Janean Young
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Keith Kardos
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Michele Roehler
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Tiffany Miller
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Melinda Wooten
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Natalie Holmes
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Nicole Gula
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Mia Baglivo
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Justin Steen
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Nori Zelenz
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Antony George Joyee
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
| | - Vincent Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (V.M.); (Z.W.); (C.K.Y.)
| | - Zack Weishampel
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (V.M.); (Z.W.); (C.K.Y.)
| | - Claude Kwe Yinda
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (V.M.); (Z.W.); (C.K.Y.)
| | | | | | - David Wever
- Cahaba Research Inc., Pelham, AL 35124, USA;
| | - Giralt Yanez
- South Florida Research Organization, Medley, FL 33166, USA;
| | | | - Song Yu
- Cahaba Research Inc., MedHelp Urgent Care, Birmingham, AL 32535, USA;
| | - Brian Bearie
- Urgent Care of Colton, Benchmark Research Group, Colton, CA 92324, USA
| | - Stephen Young
- TriCore Reference Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87102, USA;
| | - Jody D. Berry
- OraSure Technologies, Inc., 220 East First St., Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; (J.Y.); (M.R.); (T.M.); (M.W.); (M.B.); (A.G.J.); (J.D.B.)
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Sives S, Keep S, Bickerton E, Vervelde L. Revealing Novel-Strain-Specific and Shared Epitopes of Infectious Bronchitis Virus Spike Glycoprotein Using Chemical Linkage of Peptides onto Scaffolds Precision Epitope Mapping. Viruses 2023; 15:2279. [PMID: 38005955 PMCID: PMC10675791 DOI: 10.3390/v15112279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The avian coronavirus, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), is an economically important infectious disease affecting chickens, with a diverse range of serotypes found globally. The major surface protein, spike (S), has high diversity between serotypes, and amino acid differences in the S1 sub-unit are thought to be responsible for poor cross-protection afforded by vaccination. Here, we attempt to address this, by using epitope mapping technology to identify shared and serotype-specific immunogenic epitopes of the S glycoprotein of three major circulating strains of IBV, M41, QX, and 4/91, via CLIPS peptide arrays based on peptides from the S1 sub-units. The arrays were screened with sera from chickens immunised with recombinant IBV, based on Beau-R backbone expressing heterologous S, generated in two independent vaccination/challenge trials. The screening of sera from rIBV vaccination experiments led to the identification of 52 immunogenic epitopes on the S1 of M41, QX, and 4/91. The epitopes were assigned into six overlapping epitope binding regions. Based on accessibility and location in the hypervariable regions of S, three sequences, 25YVYYYQSAFRPPNGWHLQGGAYAVVNSTN54, 67TVGVIKDVYNQSVASI82, and 83AMTVPPAGMSWSVS96, were selected for further investigation, and synthetic peptide mimics were recognised by polyclonal sera. These epitopes may have the potential to contribute towards a broader cross-protective IBV vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Sives
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK;
| | - Sarah Keep
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Woking GU24 0NF, UK (E.B.)
| | - Erica Bickerton
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Woking GU24 0NF, UK (E.B.)
| | - Lonneke Vervelde
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK;
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George U, George O, Oguzie J, Osasona O, Motayo B, Kamani J, Eromon P, Folarin O, Happi A, Komolafe I, Happi C. Genomic characterization of Alphacoronavirus from Mops condylurus bats in Nigeria. Virus Res 2023; 334:199174. [PMID: 37467933 PMCID: PMC10392604 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are responsible for sporadic, epidemic and pandemic respiratory diseases worldwide. Bats have been identified as the reservoir for CoVs. To increase the number of complete coronavirus genomes in Africa and to comprehend the molecular epidemiology of bat Alphacoronaviruses (AlphaCoVs), we used deep metagenomics shotgun sequencing to obtain three (3) near-complete genomes of AlphaCoVs from Mops condylurus (Angolan free-tailed) bat in Nigeria. Phylogenetic and pairwise identity analysis of open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab), spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N) genes of AlphaCoV in this study to previously described AlphaCoVs subgenera showed that the Nigerian AlphaCoVs may be members of potentially unique AlphaCoV subgenera circulating exclusively in bats in the Molossidae bat family. Recombination events were detected, suggesting the evolution of AlphaCoVs within the Molossidae family. The pairwise identity of the S gene in this study and previously published S gene sequences of other AlphaCoVs indicate that the Nigerian strains may have a genetically unique spike protein that is distantly related to other AlphaCoVs. Variations involving non-polar to polar amino acid substitution in both the Heptad Repeat (HR) regions 1 and 2 were observed. Further monitoring of bats to understand the host receptor use requirements of CoVs and interspecies CoV transmission in Africa is necessary to identify and prevent the potential danger that bat CoVs pose to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwem George
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Judith Oguzie
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Oluwadamilola Osasona
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Babatunde Motayo
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Joshua Kamani
- Parasitology Division National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI PMB 01, Vom, Plateau state Nigeria
| | - Philomena Eromon
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Onikepe Folarin
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Anise Happi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Isaac Komolafe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Christian Happi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Human Coronavirus Cell Receptors Provide Challenging Therapeutic Targets. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010174. [PMID: 36680018 PMCID: PMC9862439 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses interact with protein or carbohydrate receptors through their spike proteins to infect cells. Even if the known protein receptors for these viruses have no evolutionary relationships, they do share ontological commonalities that the virus might leverage to exacerbate the pathophysiology. ANPEP/CD13, DPP IV/CD26, and ACE2 are the three protein receptors that are known to be exploited by several human coronaviruses. These receptors are moonlighting enzymes involved in several physiological processes such as digestion, metabolism, and blood pressure regulation; moreover, the three proteins are expressed in kidney, intestine, endothelium, and other tissues/cell types. Here, we spot the commonalities between the three enzymes, the physiological functions of the enzymes are outlined, and how blocking either enzyme results in systemic deregulations and multi-organ failures via viral infection or therapeutic interventions is addressed. It can be difficult to pinpoint any coronavirus as the target when creating a medication to fight them, due to the multiple processes that receptors are linked to and their extensive expression.
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Kumar A, Sharma A, Tirpude NV, Thakur S, Kumar S. Combating the Progression of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Infectious Disease: Current State and Future Prospects in Molecular Diagnostics and Drug Discovery. Curr Mol Med 2023; 23:127-146. [PMID: 34344288 DOI: 10.2174/1566524021666210803154250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A highly infectious and life-threatening virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and it rapidly spread all over the world. This novel virus belongs to the coronavirus family and is associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), causing respiratory disease known as COVID-19. In March 2020, WHO has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Its morbidity and mortality rates are swiftly rising day by day, with the situation becoming more severe and fatal for the comorbid population. Many COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic, but they silently spread the infection. There is a need for proper screening of infected patients to prevent the epidemic transmission of disease and for early curative interventions to reduce the risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19. To date, the diagnostic assays are of two categories, molecular detection of viral genetic material by real-time RTpolymerase chain reaction and serological test, which relies on detecting antiviral antibodies. Unfortunately, there are no effective prophylactics and therapeutics available against COVID-19. However, a few drugs have shown promising antiviral activity against it, and these presently are being referred for clinical trials, albeit FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of a few drugs for SARSCoV- 2 infection. This review provides an insight into current progress, challenges and future prospects of laboratory detection methods of COVID-19, and highlights the clinical stage of the major evidence-based drugs/vaccines recommended against the novel SARS-CoV-2 pandemic virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arbind Kumar
- COVID-19 Testing Facility, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource& Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Aashish Sharma
- COVID-19 Testing Facility, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource& Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Narendra Vijay Tirpude
- COVID-19 Testing Facility, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource& Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Sharad Thakur
- COVID-19 Testing Facility, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource& Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- COVID-19 Testing Facility, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource& Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
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Tantiwiwat T, Thaiprayoon A, Siriatcharanon AK, Tachaapaikoon C, Plongthongkum N, Waraho-Zhmayev D. Utilization of Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli for the Development of Neutralizing Antibody Assay. Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:598-611. [PMID: 36103078 PMCID: PMC9472194 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted from widespread infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As new variants of concern continue to emerge, understanding the correlation between the level of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and clinical protection from SAR-CoV-2 infection could be critical in planning the next steps in COVID-19 vaccine programs. This study explored the potential usefulness of E. coli as an alternative expression system that can be used to produce a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) for the development of an affordable and flexible NAb detection assay. We expressed the RBD of Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants in the E. coli BL21(DE3) strain and purified them from whole bacterial cells using His-tag-mediated affinity chromatography and urea-assisted refolding. Next, we conducted a head-to-head comparison of the binding activity of our E. coli-produced RBD (E-RBD) with commercial HEK293-produced RBD (H-RBD). The results of a direct binding assay revealed E-RBD and H-RBD binding with ACE2-hFc in similar signal strengths. Furthermore, in the NAb detection assay, % inhibition obtained from both E-RBD and H-RBD demonstrated comparable results in all the investigated assays, suggesting that non-glycosylated RBD produced from E. coli may offer a cost-effective alternative to the use of more expensive glycosylated RBD produced from human cells in the development of such an assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Termsak Tantiwiwat
- Biological Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140 Thailand
| | - Apisitt Thaiprayoon
- Biological Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140 Thailand
| | - Ake-kavitch Siriatcharanon
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand
| | - Chakrit Tachaapaikoon
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand ,Excellent Center of Enzyme Technology and Microbial Utilization, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand
| | - Nongluk Plongthongkum
- Biological Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140 Thailand
| | - Dujduan Waraho-Zhmayev
- Biological Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand.
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9
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Timofeeva AM, Sedykh SE, Ermakov EA, Matveev AL, Odegova EI, Sedykh TA, Shcherbakov DN, Merkuleva IA, Volosnikova EA, Nesmeyanova VS, Tikunova NV, Nevinsky GA. Natural IgG against S-Protein and RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Do Not Bind and Hydrolyze DNA and Are Not Autoimmune. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213681. [PMID: 36430159 PMCID: PMC9693483 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous publications have appeared describing autoimmune pathologies developing after a coronavirus infection, with several papers reporting autoantibody production during the acute period of the disease. Several viral diseases are known to trigger autoimmune processes, and the appearance of catalytic antibodies with DNase activity is one of the earliest markers of several autoimmune pathologies. Therefore, we analyzed whether IgG antibodies from blood plasma of SARS-CoV-2 patients after recovery could bind and hydrolyze DNA. We analyzed how vaccination of patients with adenovirus Sputnik V vaccine influences the production of abzymes with DNase activity. Four groups were selected for the analysis, each containing 25 patients according to their relative titers of antibodies to S-protein: with high and median titers, vaccinated with Sputnik V with high titers, and a control group of donors with negative titers. The relative titers of antibodies against DNA and the relative DNase activity of IgGs depended very much on the individual patient and the donor, and no significant correlation was found between the relative values of antibodies titers and their DNase activity. Our results indicate that COVID-19 disease and vaccination with adenoviral Sputnik V vaccine do not result in the development or enhancement of strong autoimmune reactions as in the typical autoimmune diseases associated with the production of anti-DNA and DNA hydrolyzing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Timofeeva
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Sergey E. Sedykh
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Evgeny A. Ermakov
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey L. Matveev
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Eva I. Odegova
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatiana A. Sedykh
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitry N. Shcherbakov
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, 630559 Koltsovo, Russia
- Department of Physical-Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, Altay State University, 656049 Barnaul, Russia
| | - Iuliia A. Merkuleva
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, 630559 Koltsovo, Russia
| | | | | | - Nina V. Tikunova
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Georgy A. Nevinsky
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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10
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Li Z, Wang A, Zhou J, Chen Y, Liu H, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Ding P, Zhu X, Liang C, Qi Y, Liu E, Zhang G. A Universal Fluorescent Immunochromatography Assay Based on Quantum Dot Nanoparticles for the Rapid Detection of Specific Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116225. [PMID: 35682904 PMCID: PMC9180975 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogenic agent leading to COVID-19. Due to high speed of transmission and mutation rates, universal diagnosis and appropriate prevention are still urgently needed. The nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 is considered more conserved than spike proteins and is abundant during the virus’ life cycle, making it suitable for diagnostic applications. Here, we designed and developed a fluorescent immunochromatography assay (FICA) for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies using ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs-conjugated nucleocapsid (N) proteins as probes. The nucleocapsid protein was expressed in E.coli and purified via Ni-NTA affinity chromatography with considerable concentration (0.762 mg/mL) and a purity of more than 90%, which could bind to specific antibodies and the complex could be captured by Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) with fluorescence displayed. After the optimization of coupling and detecting conditions, the limit of detection was determined to be 1:1.024 × 105 with an IgG concentration of 48.84 ng/mL with good specificity shown to antibodies against other zoonotic coronaviruses and respiratory infection-related viruses (n = 5). The universal fluorescent immunochromatography assay simplified operation processes in one step, which could be used for the point of care detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Moreover, it was also considered as an efficient tool for the serological screening of potential susceptible animals and for monitoring the expansion of virus host ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehui Li
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Aiping Wang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Jingming Zhou
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Yumei Chen
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Hongliang Liu
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Yankai Liu
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Peiyang Ding
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Xifang Zhu
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Chao Liang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Yanhua Qi
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Enping Liu
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
| | - Gaiping Zhang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Z.L.); (A.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.D.); (X.Z.); (C.L.); (Y.Q.); (E.L.)
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Longhu Laboratory of Advanced Immunology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-371-6355-0369
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11
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Xiang R, Wang Y, Wang L, Deng X, Huo S, Jiang S, Yu F. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against highly pathogenic coronaviruses. Curr Opin Virol 2022; 53:101199. [PMID: 35038651 PMCID: PMC8716168 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a continuing worldwide threat to human health and social economy. Historically, SARS-CoV-2 follows SARS and MERS as the third coronavirus spreading across borders and continents, but far more dangerous with long-lasting symptomatic consequences. The current situation is strong evidence that coronaviruses will continue to be pathogens of consequence in the future, thus calling for the development of neutralizing antibody-based prophylactics and therapeutics for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other human coronavirus diseases. This review summarized the progresses of developing neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against infection of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, and discussed their potential applications in prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other human coronavirus diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Xiang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Research Center of Chinese Jujube, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaoqian Deng
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Shanshan Huo
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Analysis and Control of Zoonotic Pathogenic Microorganism, Baoding, China.
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Analysis and Control of Zoonotic Pathogenic Microorganism, Baoding, China.
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12
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Ito GNW, Rodrigues VAC, Hümmelgen J, Meschino GSPG, Abou‐Rejaile GM, Brenny ID, de Castro Júnior CR, Artigas RC, Munhoz JPS, Cardoso GC, Picheth GF. COVID-19 pathophysiology and ultrasound imaging: A multiorgan review. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND : JCU 2022; 50:326-338. [PMID: 35218034 PMCID: PMC9088355 DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a dynamic disease and may affect different tissues and organs as it progresses. Therefore, the impact generated by the disease in all its stages and organs requires a functional and versatile imaging technique able to detect particularities or artifacts dynamically. Ultrasonography fulfills all these requirements and exhibit several advantages relative to other imaging modalities, including portability, lower cost and biosafety. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ultrasonography displayed a crucial role in the triage, monitoring, indicating organ damages and enabling individualized therapeutical decisions in COVID-19 patients. This review is dedicated to highlight the main pathological effects correlated with ultrasound changes caused by COVID-19 in the lungs, heart and liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovana N. W. Ito
- School of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
| | | | - Juliana Hümmelgen
- School of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
| | | | | | - Isadora D. Brenny
- School of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
| | | | - Rafaela C. Artigas
- School of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
| | | | | | - Guilherme F. Picheth
- School of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
- Department of Basic PathologyFederal University of ParanáCuritibaBrazil
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13
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Piler P, Thon V, Andrýsková L, Doležel K, Kostka D, Pavlík T, Dušek L, Pikhart H, Bobák M, Matic S, Klánová J. Nationwide increases in anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies between October 2020 and March 2021 in the unvaccinated Czech population. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022; 2:19. [PMID: 35603283 PMCID: PMC9053194 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00080-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of the nationwide prospective seroconversion (PROSECO) study was to investigate the dynamics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the Czech population. Here we report on baseline prevalence from that study. Methods The study included the first 30,054 persons who provided a blood sample between October 2020 and March 2021. Seroprevalence was compared between calendar periods, previous RT-PCR results and other factors. Results The data show a large increase in seropositivity over time, from 28% in October/November 2020 to 43% in December 2020/January 2021 to 51% in February/March 2021. These trends were consistent with government data on cumulative viral antigenic prevalence in the population captured by PCR testing - although the seroprevalence rates established in this study were considerably higher. There were only minor differences in seropositivity between sexes, age groups and BMI categories, and results were similar between test providing laboratories. Seropositivity was substantially higher among persons with history of symptoms (76% vs. 34%). At least one third of all seropositive participants had no history of symptoms, and 28% of participants with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 never underwent PCR testing. Conclusions Our data confirm the rapidly increasing prevalence in the Czech population during the rising pandemic wave prior to the beginning of vaccination. The difference between our results on seroprevalence and PCR testing suggests that antibody response provides a better marker of past infection than the routine testing program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Piler
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Thon
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Andrýsková
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Doležel
- QualityLab Association, Evropská 846/176a, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Kostka
- grid.436106.6Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Vinohradská 2577/178, 130 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pavlík
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic ,grid.486651.80000 0001 2231 0366Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, Palackého náměstí 4, 128 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Dušek
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic ,grid.486651.80000 0001 2231 0366Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, Palackého náměstí 4, 128 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hynek Pikhart
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, 1 – 19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Martin Bobák
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, 1 – 19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Srdan Matic
- World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office in the Czech Republic, Rytířská 31, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Klánová
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
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14
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Jing Si Herbal Drink as a prospective adjunctive therapy for COVID-19 treatment: Molecular evidence and mechanisms. PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH - MODERN CHINESE MEDICINE 2022. [PMCID: PMC8654706 DOI: 10.1016/j.prmcm.2021.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 has led to a sharp increase in the number of hospitalizations and deaths from pneumonia and multiorgan disease worldwide; therefore, SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health problem. Supportive therapies remain the mainstay treatments against COVID-19, such as oxygen inhalation, antiviral drugs, and antibiotics. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown clinically to relieve the symptoms of COVID-19 infection, and TCMs can affect the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Jing Si Herbal Drink (JSHD), an eight herb formula jointly developed by Tzu Chi University and Tzu Chi Hospital, has shown potential as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 infection. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) of JSHD as an adjuvant treatment in patients with COVID-19 infection is underway Objectives This article aims to explore the efficacy of the herbs in JSHD against COVID-19 infection from a mechanistic standpoint and provide a reference for the rational utilization of JSHD in the treatment of COVID-19. Method We compiled evidence of the herbs in JSHD to treat COVID-19 in vivo and in vitro. Results We described the efficacy and mechanism of action of the active ingredients in JSHD to treat COVID-19 based on experimental evidence. JSHD includes 5 antiviral herbs, 7 antioxidant herbs, and 7 anti-inflammatory herbs. In addition, 2 herbs inhibit the overactive immune system, 1 herb reduces cell apoptosis, and 1 herb possesses antithrombotic ability. Conclusion Although experimental data have confirmed that the ingredients in JSHD are effective against COVID-19, more rigorously designed studies are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of JSHD as a COVID-19 treatment.
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15
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Boix-Besora A, Lorenzo E, Lavado-García J, Gòdia F, Cervera L. Optimization, Production, Purification and Characterization of HIV-1 GAG-Based Virus-like Particles Functionalized with SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020250. [PMID: 35214708 PMCID: PMC8874421 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) constitute a promising approach to recombinant vaccine development. They are robust, safe, versatile and highly immunogenic supra-molecular structures that closely mimic the native conformation of viruses without carrying their genetic material. HIV-1 Gag VLPs share similar characteristics with wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, making them a suitable platform for the expression of its spike membrane protein to generate a potential vaccine candidate for COVID-19. This work proposes a methodology for the generation of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs by their co-expression with HIV-1 Gag protein. We achieved VLP functionalization with coronavirus spike protein, optimized its expression using a design of experiments (DoE). We also performed the bioprocess at a bioreactor scale followed by a scalable downstream purification process consisting of two clarifications, an ion exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The whole production process is conceived to enhance its transferability at current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) industrial scale manufacturing. Moreover, the approach proposed could be expanded to produce additional Gag-based VLPs against different diseases or COVID-19 variants.
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16
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Akram F, Haq IU, Aqeel A, Ahmed Z, Shah FI, Nawaz A, Zafar J, Sattar R. Insights into the evolutionary and prophylactic analysis of SARS-CoV-2: A review. J Virol Methods 2022; 300:114375. [PMID: 34838536 PMCID: PMC8610842 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In late 2019, following the emergence of a β-originated SARS-CoV-2, phylogenetic and evolutionary approaches have been demonstrated to strengthen the diagnostic and prophylactic stratagem of COVID-19 at an unprecedented level. Despite its clinical prominence, the SARS-CoV-2 gene set remains largely irrefutable by impeding the dissection of COVID-19 biology. However, many pieces of molecular and serological evidence have predicted that SARS-CoV-2 related viruses carry their roots from bats and pangolins of South East Asia. Analysis of viral genome predicts that point mutations at a rate of 10-4 nucleotides per base in the receptor-binding domain allow the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 genomic variants at regular intervals. Research in the evolution of molecular pathways involved in emergence of pandemic is critical for the development of therapeutics and vaccines as well as the prevention of future zoonosis. By determining the phyletic lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 genomic variants and those of the conserved regions in the accessory and spike proteins of all the SARS-related coronaviruses, a universal vaccine against all human coronaviruses could be formulated which would revolutionize the field of medicine. This review highlighted the current development and future prospects of antiviral drugs, inhibitors, mesenchymal stem cells, passive immunization, targeted immune therapy and CRISPR-Cas-based prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2. However, further investigations on Covid-19 pathogenesis is required for the successful fabrication of successful antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Akram
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Ikram Ul Haq
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Amna Aqeel
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Zeeshan Ahmed
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Fatima Iftikhar Shah
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ali Nawaz
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Javaria Zafar
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Rukhma Sattar
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
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17
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Advances in Targeting ACE2 for Developing COVID-19 Therapeutics. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1734-1749. [PMID: 36261668 PMCID: PMC9581451 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03094-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has accounted for over 6.3 million lives resulting in the demand to develop novel therapeutic approaches to target and treat SARS-CoV-2. Improved understanding of viral entry and infection mechanisms has led to identifying different target receptors to mitigate infection in the host. Researchers have been working on identifying and targeting potential therapeutic target receptors utilizing different candidate drugs. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) has been known to perform critical functions in maintaining healthy cardiorespiratory function. However, ACE2 also functions as the binding site for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, allowing the virus to enter the cells and ensue infection. Therefore, drugs targeting ACE2 receptors can be considered as therapeutic candidates. Strategies targeting the level of ACE2 expression have been investigated and compared to other potential therapeutic targets, such as TMPRSS2, RdRp, and DPP4. This mini review discusses the key therapeutic approaches that target the ACE2 receptor, which is critical to the cellular entry and propagation of the novel SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we summarize the main advantages of ACE2 targeting against alternative approaches for the treatment of COVID-19.
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18
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Essentials of COVID-19 and treatment approaches. DATA SCIENCE FOR COVID-19 2022. [PMCID: PMC8988944 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-90769-9.00026-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus family is as old as the 1930s when it first showed symptoms in chicken. The virus thereafter kept evolving and it has significantly taken over a large percentage of people worldwide in the form of this new pandemic. As of the present day, there is no treatment available for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]), although supportive therapy and preventive measures have shown a tremendous control rate among certain patients. Drugs like remdesivir, camostat, nafamostat, ritonavir/lopinavir, several monoclonal antibodies, and CPs are in their early phases of trials. There are approved by the WHO under an emergency use authorization program. Favipiravir has entered its phase 3 clinical trial and is supported by evidence to show no or less adverse effects in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine development is accelerating its pace, and vaccines will probably become available by the end of the year 2020.
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19
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Piler P, Thon V, Andrýsková L, Doležel K, Kostka D, Pavlík T, Dušek L, Pikhart H, Bobák M, Matic S, Klánová J. Nationwide increases in anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies between October 2020 and March 2021 in the unvaccinated Czech population. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022. [PMID: 35603283 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00080-0.pmid:35603283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the nationwide prospective seroconversion (PROSECO) study was to investigate the dynamics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the Czech population. Here we report on baseline prevalence from that study. METHODS The study included the first 30,054 persons who provided a blood sample between October 2020 and March 2021. Seroprevalence was compared between calendar periods, previous RT-PCR results and other factors. RESULTS The data show a large increase in seropositivity over time, from 28% in October/November 2020 to 43% in December 2020/January 2021 to 51% in February/March 2021. These trends were consistent with government data on cumulative viral antigenic prevalence in the population captured by PCR testing - although the seroprevalence rates established in this study were considerably higher. There were only minor differences in seropositivity between sexes, age groups and BMI categories, and results were similar between test providing laboratories. Seropositivity was substantially higher among persons with history of symptoms (76% vs. 34%). At least one third of all seropositive participants had no history of symptoms, and 28% of participants with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 never underwent PCR testing. CONCLUSIONS Our data confirm the rapidly increasing prevalence in the Czech population during the rising pandemic wave prior to the beginning of vaccination. The difference between our results on seroprevalence and PCR testing suggests that antibody response provides a better marker of past infection than the routine testing program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Piler
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Thon
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Andrýsková
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Doležel
- QualityLab Association, Evropská 846/176a, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Kostka
- Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Vinohradská 2577/178, 130 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pavlík
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, Palackého náměstí 4, 128 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Dušek
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, Palackého náměstí 4, 128 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hynek Pikhart
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, 1 - 19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Martin Bobák
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, 1 - 19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Srdan Matic
- World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office in the Czech Republic, Rytířská 31, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Klánová
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
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Hamorsky KT, Bushau-Sprinkle AM, Kitterman K, Corman JM, DeMarco J, Keith RJ, Bhatnagar A, Fuqua JL, Lasnik A, Joh J, Chung D, Klein J, Flynn J, Gardner M, Barve S, Ghare SS, Palmer KE. Serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of the pandemic in Louisville Kentucky. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18285. [PMID: 34521900 PMCID: PMC8440627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97423-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serological assays intended for diagnosis, sero-epidemiologic assessment, and measurement of protective antibody titers upon infection or vaccination are essential for managing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Serological assays measuring the antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 antigens are readily available. However, some lack appropriate characteristics to accurately measure SARS-CoV-2 antibodies titers and neutralization. We developed an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods for measuring IgG, IgA, and IgM responses to SARS-CoV-2, Spike (S), receptor binding domain (RBD), and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. Performance characteristics of sensitivity and specificity have been defined. ELISA results show positive correlation with microneutralization and Plaque Reduction Neutralization assays with infectious SARS-CoV-2. Our ELISA was used to screen healthcare workers in Louisville, KY during the first wave of the local pandemic in the months of May and July 2020. We found a seropositive rate of approximately 1.4% and 2.3%, respectively. Our analyses demonstrate a broad immune response among individuals and suggest some non-RBD specific S IgG and IgA antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystal T Hamorsky
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
| | - Adrienne M Bushau-Sprinkle
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Kathleen Kitterman
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Julia M Corman
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jennifer DeMarco
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Rachel J Keith
- Christine Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Aruni Bhatnagar
- Christine Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Joshua L Fuqua
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Amanda Lasnik
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Joongho Joh
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Donghoon Chung
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jon Klein
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Joseph Flynn
- Norton Cancer Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Marti Gardner
- Norton Cancer Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Shirish Barve
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Smita S Ghare
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Kenneth E Palmer
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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21
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Wang Y, Wang Z, Gupta P, Morrissey JJ, Naik RR, Singamaneni S. Enhancing the Stability of COVID-19 Serological Assay through Metal-Organic Framework Encapsulation. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2100410. [PMID: 34297470 PMCID: PMC8427112 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202100410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is widely utilized in serologic assays, including COVID-19, for the detection and quantification of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. However, due to the limited stability of the diagnostic reagents (e.g., antigens serving as biorecognition elements) and biospecimens, temperature-controlled storage and handling conditions are critical. This limitation among others makes biodiagnostics in resource-limited settings, where refrigeration and electricity are inaccessible or unreliable, particularly challenging. In this work, metal-organic framework encapsulation is demonstrated as a simple and effective method to preserve the conformational epitopes of antigens immobilized on microtiter plate under non-refrigerated storage conditions. It is demonstrated that in situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) renders excellent stability to surface-bound SARS-CoV-2 antigens, thereby maintaining the assay performance under elevated temperature (40 °C) for up to 4 weeks. As a complementary method, the preservation of plasma samples from COVID-19 patients using ZIF-90 encapsulation is also demonstrated. The energy-efficient approach demonstrated here will not only alleviate the financial burden associated with cold-chain transportation, but also improve the disease surveillance in resource-limited settings with more reliable clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceInstitute of Materials Science and EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSaint LouisMO63130USA
| | - Zheyu Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceInstitute of Materials Science and EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSaint LouisMO63130USA
| | - Prashant Gupta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceInstitute of Materials Science and EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSaint LouisMO63130USA
| | - Jeremiah J. Morrissey
- Department of AnesthesiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMO63110USA
- Siteman Cancer CenterWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMO63130USA
| | - Rajesh R. Naik
- 711th Human Performance WingAir Force Research LaboratoryWright Patterson Air Force BaseDaytonOH45433USA
| | - Srikanth Singamaneni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceInstitute of Materials Science and EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSaint LouisMO63130USA
- Siteman Cancer CenterWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMO63130USA
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22
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Influenza Virus-like Particle (VLP) Vaccines Expressing the SARS-CoV-2 S Glycoprotein, S1, or S2 Domains. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9080920. [PMID: 34452044 PMCID: PMC8402567 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9080920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic had brought disastrous consequences throughout the entire world. While several manufactured vaccines have been approved for emergency use, continuous efforts to generate novel vaccines are needed. In this study, we developed SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs) containing the full length of spike (S) glycoprotein (S full), S1, or S2 together with the influenza matrix protein 1 (M1) as a core protein. Successfully constructed VLPs expressing the S full, S1, and S2 via Sf9 cell transfections were confirmed and characterized by Western blot and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). VLP immunization in mice induced higher levels of spike protein-specific IgG and its subclasses compared to naïve control, with IgG2a being the most predominant subclass. S full and S1 immune sera elicited virus-neutralizing activities, but these were not strong enough to fully inhibit receptor–ligand binding of the SARS-CoV-2. Neutralizing activities were not observed from the S2 VLP immune sera. Overall, our findings revealed that S full or S1 containing VLPs can be developed into effective vaccines.
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23
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Shalash AO, Hussein WM, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. Key Considerations for the Development of Safe and Effective SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Vaccine: A Peptide-Based Vaccine Alternative. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2100985. [PMID: 34176237 PMCID: PMC8373118 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is disastrous to global health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibits similar clinical symptoms and immunopathological sequelae to SARS-CoV infection. Therefore, much of the developmental progress on SARS-CoV vaccines can be utilized for the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Careful antigen selection during development is always of utmost importance for the production of effective vaccines that do not compromise recipient safety. This holds especially true for SARS-CoV vaccines, as several immunopathological disorders are associated with the activity of structural and nonstructural proteins encoded in the virus's genetic material. Whole viral protein and RNA-encoding full-length proteins contain both protective and "dangerous" sequences, unless pathological fragments are deleted. In light of recent advances, peptide vaccines may present a very safe and effective alternative. Peptide vaccines can avoid immunopathological pro-inflammatory sequences, focus immune responses on neutralizing immunogenic epitopes, avoid off-target antigen loss, combine antigens with different protective roles or mechanisms, even from different viral proteins, and avoid mutant escape by employing highly conserved cryptic epitopes. In this review, an attempt is made to exploit the similarities between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 in vaccine antigen screening, with particular attention to the pathological and immunogenic properties of SARS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
- School of PharmacyThe University of QueenslandWoolloongabbaQLD4102Australia
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24
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Guo W, Lakshminarayanan H, Rodriguez-Palacios A, Salata RA, Xu K, Draz MS. Glycan Nanostructures of Human Coronaviruses. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:4813-4830. [PMID: 34290504 PMCID: PMC8289332 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s302516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human coronaviruses present a substantial global disease burden, causing damage to populations’ health, economy, and social well-being. Glycans are one of the main structural components of all microbes and organismic structures, including viruses—playing multiple essential roles in virus infection and immunity. Studying and understanding virus glycans at the nanoscale provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of viruses. Glycan nanostructures are considered potential targets for molecular diagnosis, antiviral therapeutics, and the development of vaccines. This review article describes glycan nanostructures (eg, glycoproteins and glycolipids) that exist in cells, subcellular structures, and microbes. We detail the structure, characterization, synthesis, and functions of virus glycans. Furthermore, we describe the glycan nanostructures of different human coronaviruses, such as human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E), human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1), the Middle East respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and how glycan nanotechnology can be useful to prevent and combat human coronaviruses infections, along with possibilities that are not yet explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanru Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Harini Lakshminarayanan
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Rodriguez-Palacios
- Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Digestive Health Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Germ-Free and Gut Microbiome Core, Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Core Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,University Hospitals Research and Education Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Robert A Salata
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kaijin Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mohamed S Draz
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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25
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Garritsen A, Scholzen A, van den Nieuwenhof DWA, Smits APF, Datema ES, van Galen LS, Kouwijzer MLCE. Two-tiered SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion screening in the Netherlands and stability of nucleocapsid, spike protein domain 1 and neutralizing antibodies. Infect Dis (Lond) 2021; 53:498-512. [PMID: 33684020 PMCID: PMC7967720 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2021.1893378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serological testing in the COVID-19 pandemic is mainly implemented to gain sero-epidemiological data, but can also retrospectively inform about suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHOD We verified and applied a two-tiered testing strategy combining a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific lateral flow assay (LFA) with a nucleocapsid protein (NCP) IgG ELISA to assess seroconversion in n = 7241 individuals. The majority had experienced symptoms consistent with COVID-19, but had no access to RT-PCR testing. Longitudinal follow-up in n = 97 LFA + individuals was performed up to 20 weeks after initial infection using NCP and spike protein S1 domain (S1) IgG ELISAs and a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). RESULTS Individuals reporting symptoms from January 2020 onwards showed seroconversion, as did a considerable proportion of asymptomatic individuals. Seroconversion for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals was higher in an area with a known infection cluster compared to a low incidence area. Overall, 94% of individuals with a positive IgG result by LFA were confirmed by NCP ELISA. The proportion of ELISA-confirmed LFA results declined over time, in line with contracting NCP IgG titres during longitudinal follow-up. Neutralizing antibody activity was considerably more stable than S1 and NCP IgG titres, and both reach a plateau after approximately 100 d. The sVNT proved to be not only highly specific, but also more sensitive than the specificity-focussed two-tiered serology approach. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the high specificity of two-tiered serology testing and highlight the sVNT used as a valuable tool to support modelling of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics, complement molecular testing and provide relevant information to individuals.
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26
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Moradi G, Mohamadi Bolbanabad A, Ahmadi S, Aghaei A, Bahrami F, Veysi A, Nasiri Kalmarzi R, Shokri A, Ghaderi E, Mohsenpour B, Mohammadi A. Persistence assessment of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody in recovered COVID-19 individuals and its association with clinical symptoms and disease severity: A prospective longitudinal cohort study. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 98:107893. [PMID: 34174700 PMCID: PMC8206627 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Antibodies play an important role in neutralizing invading pathogens and protecting the host against re-infection. Thus, the accurate assessment of antibodies during a pandemic can provide important evidence for monitoring pathogen exposure, understanding the role of antibodies in protective immunity, and helping vaccine development. Methods In this study, 96 west Iranian recovered COVID-19 subjects were recruited and, based on clinical symptoms and disease severity, categorized into three different groups: mild, moderate, and severe. In addition, the presence and dynamic change of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody three, four-, and six months post symptom onset (PSO) were measured. Also, the association between IgG antibody titer with clinical symptoms and disease severity was examined. Results Although in real-time RT-PCR-positive samples negative IgG antibody results were found, most subjects mount humoral immune responses that could raise a robust SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody. Furthermore, this antibody persisted in the serum of most recovered COVID-19 subjects at least six months PSO and demonstrated little to no decrease. Also, specific IgG antibody titer was strongly correlated with clinical symptoms and disease severity. Conclusions These results provide an insight into the presence and persistence of the SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody. Although serological tests could not be used as the primary diagnostic test, they may support real-time RT-PCR results. Also, they could be used for diagnosing COVID-19 subjects tested later outside of the optimal period. Thus, the SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody is an excellent marker of COVID-19 infection or vaccination and provides an additional diagnostic tool for verifying results and helps monitor and control COVID-19 spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghobad Moradi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Amjad Mohamadi Bolbanabad
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Sanaz Ahmadi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Abbas Aghaei
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Fares Bahrami
- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Arshad Veysi
- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Rasool Nasiri Kalmarzi
- Lung Diseases and Allergy Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Azad Shokri
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Ghaderi
- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Behzad Mohsenpour
- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Asadollah Mohammadi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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27
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Massalska MA, Gober HJ. How Children Are Protected From COVID-19? A Historical, Clinical, and Pathophysiological Approach to Address COVID-19 Susceptibility. Front Immunol 2021; 12:646894. [PMID: 34177895 PMCID: PMC8226076 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.646894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin and the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020 was accompanied by high rates of mortality in regions belonging to the ancient silk road, such as the south of China, Iran, Turkey and the northern parts of Italy. However, children seem to be spared in the epidemic as very small percentage worldwide being ill. The protection of children and neonates suggests the involvement of a specific component of adaptive immunity present at early development. Native immunoglobulin belonging to the class of IgM is abundantly present in neonates and children and is known for its recognition of self- and altered self-antigens. Native IgM may be able to neutralize virus by the recognition of endogenous "danger signal" encoded in the viral envelope and originally imprinted in the membranes of infected and stressed cells. Noteworthy, thrombosis and vasculitis, two symptoms in severely affected adult and pediatric patients are shared between COVID-19 and patients with Behcet's disease, an autoimmune disorder exhibiting a region-specific prevalence in countries of the former silk road. Molecular mechanisms and clinical indicators suggest reactive oxygen species as trigger factor for severe progression of COVID-19 and establish a link to the innate immune defense against bacteria. The selective pressure exerted by bacterial pathogens may have shaped the genetics of inhabitants at this ancient trade route in favor of bacterial defense, to the detriment of severe COVID-19 progression in the 21th century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Anna Massalska
- Department of Pathophysiology and Immunology, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation, Warsaw, Poland
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28
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Improved diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 by using nucleoprotein and spike protein fragment 2 in quantitative dual ELISA tests. Epidemiol Infect 2021; 149:e140. [PMID: 34099081 PMCID: PMC8207563 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268821001308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the causative agent of the 2020 worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Antibody testing is useful for diagnosing historic infections of a disease in a population. These tests are also a helpful epidemiological tool for predicting how the virus spreads in a community, relating antibody levels to immunity and for assessing herd immunity. In the present study, SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins were recombinantly produced and used to analyse serum from individuals previously exposed, or not, to SARS-CoV-2. The nucleocapsid (Npro) and spike subunit 2 (S2Frag) proteins were identified as highly immunogenic, although responses to the former were generally greater. These two proteins were used to develop two quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that when used in combination resulted in a highly reliable diagnostic test. Npro and S2Frag-ELISAs could detect at least 10% more true positive coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases than the commercially available ARCHITECT test (Abbott). Moreover, our quantitative ELISAs also show that specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 proteins tend to wane rapidly even in patients who had developed severe disease. As antibody tests complement COVID-19 diagnosis and determine population-level surveillance during this pandemic, the alternative diagnostic we present in this study could play a role in controlling the spread of the virus.
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29
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A Cross-Sectional Study of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence between Fall 2020 and February 2021 in Allegheny County, Western Pennsylvania, USA. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060710. [PMID: 34204122 PMCID: PMC8226606 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Seroprevalence studies are important for understanding the dynamics of local virus transmission and evaluating community immunity. To assess the seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in Allegheny County, an urban/suburban county in Western PA, 393 human blood samples collected in Fall 2020 and February 2021 were examined for spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid protein (N) antibodies. All RBD-positive samples were evaluated for virus-specific neutralization activity. Our results showed a seroprevalence of 5.5% by RBD ELISA, 4.5% by N ELISA, and 2.5% for both in Fall 2020, which increased to 24.7% by RBD ELISA, 14.9% by N ELISA, and 12.9% for both in February 2021. Neutralization titer was significantly correlated with RBD titer but not with N titer. Using these two assays, we were able to distinguish infected from vaccinated individuals. In the February cohort, higher median income and white race were associated with serological findings consistent with vaccination. This study demonstrates a 4.5-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence from Fall 2020 to February 2021 in Allegheny County, PA, due to increased incidence of both natural disease and vaccination. Future seroprevalence studies will need to include the effect of vaccination on assay results and incorporate non-vaccine antigens in serological assessments.
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30
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Fay FF, Alvarez-Moreno CA, Bonvehi PE, Espinoza CC, Hidalgo MLH, Marcano-Lozada M, Perez CM, Pulchinelli A, Sáenz-Flor KV, Condino-Neto A. A simplified alternative diagnostic algorithm for SARS-CoV-2 suspected symptomatic patients and confirmed close contacts (asymptomatic): A consensus of Latin American experts. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 117:130-136. [PMID: 34022333 PMCID: PMC8133827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.011] [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: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Latin America accounts for one-quarter of global COVID-19 cases and one-third of deaths. Inequalities in the region lead to barriers regarding the best use of diagnostic tests during the pandemic. There is a need for a simplified guideline, considering the region's health resources' low availability, international guidelines, medical literature, and local expertise. METHODS Nine experts from Latin American countries developed a simplified algorithm for COVID-19 diagnosis, using a modified Delphi method. Twenty-four questions related to diagnostic settings were proposed, followed by discussion of the literature and experts' experience. RESULTS The algorithm considers three timeframes (≤7 days, 8-13 days, and ≥ 14 days) and discusses diagnostic options for each one. SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR is the test of choice from day 1 to day 14 after symptom onset or close contact, although antigen testing may be used in particular situations, from days 5 to 7. Antibody assays may be used for confirmation, mainly after day 14. If the clinical suspicion is very high, but other tests are negative, these assays may be used as an adjunct to decision-making from day 8 to day 13. CONCLUSION The proposed algorithm aims to support COVID-19 diagnosis decision-making in Latin America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Arturo Alvarez-Moreno
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clinica Colsanitas, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Pablo E Bonvehi
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Clinical Investigation and Medical Education Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Marcel Marcano-Lozada
- Angios Vascular Center and Wound Clinic, Caracas, Venezuela; Juan Pablo II University, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Carlos M Perez
- Faculty of Medicine and Science, Universidad San Sebastian, Clinica Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alvaro Pulchinelli
- Federal University of São Paulo, Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology, Fleury Medicina e Saúde Laboratory, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Antonio Condino-Neto
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Dynamics of neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19: an observational study. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:197. [PMID: 34006847 PMCID: PMC8129700 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00611-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the protective immunity, particularly the long-term dynamics of neutralizing antibody (NAbs) response to SARS-CoV-2, is currently limited. We enrolled a cohort of 545 COVID-19 patients from Hubei, China, who were followed up up to 7 months, and determined the dynamics of NAbs to SARS-CoV-2 by using a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). In our validation study, sVNT IC50 titers and the neutralization rate measured at a single dilution (1:20) were well correlated with FRNT titers (r = 0.85 and 0.84, respectively). The median time to seroconversion of NAbs was 5.5 days post onset of symptoms. The rate of positive sVNT was 52% in the first week, reached 100% in the third week, and remained above 97% till 6 months post onset. Quantitatively, NAbs peaked in the fourth week and only a quarter of patients had an estimated peak titer of >1000. NAbs declined with a half-time of 61 days (95% CI: 49-80 days) within the first two months, and the decay deaccelerated to a half-time of 104 days (95% CI: 86-130 days) afterward. The peak levels of NAbs were positively associated with severity of COVID-19 and age, while negatively associated with serum albumin levels. The observation that the low-moderate peak neutralizing activity and fast decay of NAbs in most naturally infected individuals called for caution in evaluating the feasibility of antibody-based therapy and vaccine durability. NAbs response positively correlated with disease severity, warning for the possibility of repeat infection in patients with mild COVID-19.
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Shabbir S, Raza MH, Arshad M, Khan MJ. The interplay between the immune system and SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients. Arch Virol 2021; 166:2109-2117. [PMID: 33950288 PMCID: PMC8097254 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-021-05091-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Millions of people across the globe have been affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which began in Wuhan, China, and is caused by SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 has a variety of clinical characteristics and triggers immune responses required for the elimination of the viral agent. Currently, no effective treatment options are available for targeting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Repurposing of drugs such as chloroquine, thalidomide, and leflunomide alongside convalescent plasma is being employed as a therapeutic strategy. Clinical studies have shown that both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients can have an extremely active immune response that is largely attributable to immune system modulations. This includes cytokine storm syndrome (CSS), which affects the adaptive immune system, leading to exhaustion of natural killer (NK) cells and thrombocytopenia in some cases. This review examines the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with the host immune system and the potential for the development of appropriate immunotherapy for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Shabbir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Hassan Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad, Sri Nagar Highway, H10, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Arshad
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad, Sri Nagar Highway, H10, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Jawad Khan
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan.
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Müller L, Ostermann PN, Walker A, Wienemann T, Mertens A, Adams O, Andree M, Hauka S, Lübke N, Keitel V, Drexler I, Di Cristanziano V, Hermsen DF, Kaiser R, Boege F, Klein F, Schaal H, Timm J, Senff T. Sensitivity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological assays in a high-prevalence setting. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 40:1063-1071. [PMID: 33534090 PMCID: PMC7856849 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-021-04169-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Evaluation and power of seroprevalence studies depend on the performed serological assays. The aim of this study was to assess four commercial serological tests from EUROIMMUN, DiaSorin, Abbott, and Roche as well as an in-house immunofluorescence and neutralization test for their capability to identify SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals in a high-prevalence setting. Therefore, 42 social and working contacts of a German super-spreader were tested. Consistent with a high-prevalence setting, 26 of 42 were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive by neutralization test (NT), and immunofluorescence test (IFT) confirmed 23 of these 26 positive test results (NT 61.9% and IFT 54.8% seroprevalence). Four commercial assays detected anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 33.3-40.5% individuals. Besides an overall discrepancy between the NT and the commercial assays regarding their sensitivity, this study revealed that commercial SARS-CoV-2 spike-based assays are better to predict the neutralization titer than nucleoprotein-based assays are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Müller
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philipp Niklas Ostermann
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas Walker
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Wienemann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40255, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Mertens
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40255, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ortwin Adams
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marcel Andree
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sandra Hauka
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nadine Lübke
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Verena Keitel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40255, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ingo Drexler
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Veronica Di Cristanziano
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Derik Franz Hermsen
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Faculty, University Düsseldorf, 40255, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rolf Kaiser
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Friedrich Boege
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Faculty, University Düsseldorf, 40255, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Florian Klein
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Heiner Schaal
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jörg Timm
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Tina Senff
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Melo-Vallès A, Ballesté-Delpierre C, Vila J. Review of the Microbiological Diagnostic Approaches of COVID-19. Front Public Health 2021; 9:592500. [PMID: 33987157 PMCID: PMC8110909 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.592500] [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: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
On March 12, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic following the exponential increase of SARS-CoV-2 cases. The rapid spread of the virus is due to both its high infectivity and the free circulation of unrecognized infectious cases. Thus, diagnostic testing is a key element to prevent further dissemination of the virus. Urged by WHO's call, laboratories worldwide have been working on nucleic acid tests protocols and immunoassays that became available, albeit poorly validated, within a comparatively short time. Since then, external studies evaluating these diagnostic tests have been published. The present study is a review of the COVID-19 diagnostic approaches, discussing both direct and indirect microbiological diagnoses. A compendium of the literature on commercial assays kits available to date is provided together with the conclusions drawn as well as RT-PCR protocols published by the WHO. Briefly, diagnostic accuracy varies according to time elapsed since symptom onset and evolves together with understanding of the COVID-19 disease. Taking into account all these variables will allow determining the most adequate diagnostic test to use and how to optimize diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Melo-Vallès
- Bachelor of Human Biology, Fourth Grade Student, Life and Health Sciences Faculty, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jordi Vila
- ISGlobal Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Centre for Biomedical Diagnosis, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
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Zha L, Chang X, Zhao H, Mohsen MO, Hong L, Zhou Y, Chen H, Liu X, Zhang J, Li D, Wu K, Martina B, Wang J, Vogel M, Bachmann MF. Development of a Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 Based on the Receptor-Binding Domain Displayed on Virus-Like Particles. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:395. [PMID: 33923573 PMCID: PMC8073353 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by a new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) first reported in Wuhan City, China. From there, it has been rapidly spreading to many cities inside and outside China. Nowadays, more than 110 million cases with deaths surpassing 2 million have been recorded worldwide, thus representing a major health and economic issues. Rapid development of a protective vaccine against COVID-19 is therefore of paramount importance. Here, we demonstrated that the recombinantly expressed receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein can be coupled to immunologically optimized virus-like particles derived from cucumber mosaic virus (CuMVTT). The RBD displayed CuMVTT bound to ACE2, the viral receptor, demonstrating proper folding of RBD. Furthermore, a highly repetitive display of the RBD on CuMVTT resulted in a vaccine candidate that induced high levels of specific antibodies in mice, which were able to block binding of the spike protein to ACE2 and potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Zha
- International Immunology Centre, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (L.Z.); (L.H.); (H.C.); (X.L.)
| | - Xinyue Chang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; (X.C.); (M.O.M.); (M.V.)
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hongxin Zhao
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China;
| | - Mona O. Mohsen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; (X.C.); (M.O.M.); (M.V.)
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Saiba AG, 8808 Pfäffikon, Switzerland
| | - Liang Hong
- International Immunology Centre, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (L.Z.); (L.H.); (H.C.); (X.L.)
| | - Yuhang Zhou
- Shandong H&Z Lifescience Gmbh, Yantai 264000, China; (Y.Z.); (J.Z.)
| | - Hongquan Chen
- International Immunology Centre, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (L.Z.); (L.H.); (H.C.); (X.L.)
| | - Xuelan Liu
- International Immunology Centre, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (L.Z.); (L.H.); (H.C.); (X.L.)
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; (X.C.); (M.O.M.); (M.V.)
| | - Jie Zhang
- Shandong H&Z Lifescience Gmbh, Yantai 264000, China; (Y.Z.); (J.Z.)
| | - Dong Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Monoclonal Antibody Research and Development, Beijing 100176, China;
| | - Ke Wu
- Institute of Risk Analysis, Prediction and Management, Academy of Interdisciplinary and Advanced Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China;
| | - Byron Martina
- Artemis Reserch One Heath Foundation, 7100 Delft, The Netherlands;
| | - Junfeng Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China;
| | - Monique Vogel
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; (X.C.); (M.O.M.); (M.V.)
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin F. Bachmann
- International Immunology Centre, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (L.Z.); (L.H.); (H.C.); (X.L.)
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; (X.C.); (M.O.M.); (M.V.)
- Jenner Institute, Old Road Campus, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
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36
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Characteristics of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Recovered COVID-19 Subjects. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040697. [PMID: 33923828 PMCID: PMC8073159 DOI: 10.3390/v13040697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While detection of SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (RT-PCR) is currently used to diagnose acute COVID-19 infection, serological assays are needed to study the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)G/A/M antibodies against spike (S) protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) were characterized in recovered subjects who were RT-PCR-positive (n = 153) and RT-PCR-negative (n = 55) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These antibodies were also further assessed for their ability to neutralize live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 90.9% of resolved subjects up to 180 days post-symptom onset. Anti-S protein and anti-RBD IgG titers correlated (r = 0.5157 and r = 0.6010, respectively) with viral neutralization. Of the RT-PCR-positive subjects, 22 (14.3%) did not have anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; and of those, 17 had RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values > 27. These high Ct values raise the possibility that these indeterminate results are from individuals who were not infected or had mild infection that failed to elicit an antibody response. This study highlights the importance of serological surveys to determine population-level immunity based on infection numbers as determined by RT-PCR.
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Makatsa MS, Tincho MB, Wendoh JM, Ismail SD, Nesamari R, Pera F, de Beer S, David A, Jugwanth S, Gededzha MP, Mampeule N, Sanne I, Stevens W, Scott L, Blackburn J, Mayne ES, Keeton RS, Burgers WA. SARS-CoV-2 Antigens Expressed in Plants Detect Antibody Responses in COVID-19 Patients. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:589940. [PMID: 33868324 PMCID: PMC8044419 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.589940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has swept the world and poses a significant global threat to lives and livelihoods, with 115 million confirmed cases and at least 2.5 million deaths from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the first year of the pandemic. Developing tools to measure seroprevalence and understand protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is a priority. We aimed to develop a serological assay using plant-derived recombinant viral proteins, which represent important tools in less-resourced settings. Methods: We established an indirect ELISA using the S1 and receptor-binding domain (RBD) portions of the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2, expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. We measured antibody responses in sera from South African patients (n = 77) who had tested positive by PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Samples were taken a median of 6 weeks after the diagnosis, and the majority of participants had mild and moderate COVID-19 disease. In addition, we tested the reactivity of pre-pandemic plasma (n = 58) and compared the performance of our in-house ELISA with a commercial assay. We also determined whether our assay could detect SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG and IgA in saliva. Results: We demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulins are readily detectable using recombinant plant-derived viral proteins, in patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. Reactivity to S1 and RBD was detected in 51 (66%) and 48 (62%) of participants, respectively. Notably, we detected 100% of samples identified as having S1-specific antibodies by a validated, high sensitivity commercial ELISA, and optical density (OD) values were strongly and significantly correlated between the two assays. For the pre-pandemic plasma, 1/58 (1.7%) of samples were positive, indicating a high specificity for SARS-CoV-2 in our ELISA. SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG correlated significantly with IgA and IgM responses. Endpoint titers of S1- and RBD-specific immunoglobulins ranged from 1:50 to 1:3,200. S1-specific IgG and IgA were found in saliva samples from convalescent volunteers. Conclusion: We demonstrate that recombinant SARS-CoV-2 proteins produced in plants enable robust detection of SARS-CoV-2 humoral responses. This assay can be used for seroepidemiological studies and to measure the strength and durability of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in infected patients in our setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohau S. Makatsa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marius B. Tincho
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jerome M. Wendoh
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sherazaan D. Ismail
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rofhiwa Nesamari
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | - Anura David
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sarika Jugwanth
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maemu P. Gededzha
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nakampe Mampeule
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ian Sanne
- Clinical HIV Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Wendy Stevens
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lesley Scott
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Blackburn
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Chemical and Systems Biology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth S. Mayne
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Roanne S. Keeton
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wendy A. Burgers
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Vishwakarma P, Yadav N, Rizvi ZA, Khan NA, Chiranjivi AK, Mani S, Bansal M, Dwivedi P, Shrivastava T, Kumar R, Awasthi A, Ahmed S, Samal S. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein Based Novel Epitopes Induce Potent Immune Responses in vivo and Inhibit Viral Replication in vitro. Front Immunol 2021; 12:613045. [PMID: 33841395 PMCID: PMC8032902 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.613045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) initiates infection by attachment of the surface-exposed spike glycoprotein to the host cell receptors. The spike glycoprotein (S) is a promising target for inducing immune responses and providing protection; thus the ongoing efforts for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and therapeutic developments are mostly spiraling around S glycoprotein. The matured functional spike glycoprotein is presented on the virion surface as trimers, which contain two subunits, such as S1 (virus attachment) and S2 (virus fusion). The S1 subunit harbors the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD). The RBD is responsible for binding to host-cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The NTD and RBD of S1, and the S2 of S glycoprotein are the major structural moieties to design and develop spike-based vaccine candidates and therapeutics. Here, we have identified three novel epitopes (20-amino acid peptides) in the regions NTD, RBD, and S2 domains, respectively, by structural and immunoinformatic analysis. We have shown as a proof of principle in the murine model, the potential role of these novel epitopes in-inducing humoral and cellular immune responses. Further analysis has shown that RBD and S2 directed epitopes were able to efficiently inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 wild-type virus in vitro suggesting their role as virus entry inhibitors. Structural analysis revealed that S2-epitope is a part of the heptad repeat 2 (HR2) domain which might have plausible inhibitory effects on virus fusion. Taken together, this study discovered novel epitopes that might have important implications in the development of potential SARS-CoV-2 spike-based vaccine and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Vishwakarma
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Naveen Yadav
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Zaigham Abbas Rizvi
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Naseem Ahmed Khan
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Adarsh Kumar Chiranjivi
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Shailendra Mani
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Manish Bansal
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Prabhanjan Dwivedi
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Tripti Shrivastava
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Shubbir Ahmed
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Sweety Samal
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
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39
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Khare S, Azevedo M, Parajuli P, Gokulan K. Conformational Changes of the Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Prediction of a B-Cell Antigenic Epitope Using Structural Data. Front Artif Intell 2021; 4:630955. [PMID: 33842877 PMCID: PMC8027118 DOI: 10.3389/frai.2021.630955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is now a worldwide pandemic with mortality in hundreds of thousands as infections continue to increase. Containing the spread of this viral infection and decreasing the mortality rate is a major challenge. Identifying appropriate antigenic epitopes from the viral proteins is a very important task for vaccine production and the development of diagnostic kits and antibody therapy. A novel antigenic epitope would be specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can distinguish infections caused by common cold viruses. In this study two approaches are employed to identify both continuous and conformational B-cell antigenic epitopes. To achieve this goal, we modeled a complete structure of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein using recently deposited coordinates (6vxx, 6vsb, and 6w41) in the protein data bank. In addition, we also modeled the RBD-ACE2 receptor complex for SARS-CoV-2 using the SARS-CoV RBD-ACE2 complex (3D0J) as a reference model. Finally, structure based predicted antigenic epitopes were compared to the ACE2 binding region of RBD of SARS-CoV-2. The identified conformational epitopes show overlaps with the ACE2-receptor binding region of the RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Strategies defined in the current study identified novel antigenic epitope that is specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Integrating such approach in the diagnosis can distinguish infections caused by common cold viruses from SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Khare
- Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, United States-Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Marli Azevedo
- Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, United States-Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Pravin Parajuli
- Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, United States-Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Kuppan Gokulan
- Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, United States-Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
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Hasan A, Al-Ozairi E, Al-Baqsumi Z, Ahmad R, Al-Mulla F. Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses in Covid-19 and Immunotherapeutic Approaches. Immunotargets Ther 2021; 10:63-85. [PMID: 33728277 PMCID: PMC7955763 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s280706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can range in severity from asymptomatic to severe/critical disease. SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 to infect cells leading to a strong inflammatory response, which is most profound in patients who progress to severe Covid-19. Recent studies have begun to unravel some of the differences in the innate and adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with different degrees of disease severity. These studies have attributed the severe form of Covid-19 to a dysfunctional innate immune response, such as a delayed and/or deficient type I interferon response, coupled with an exaggerated and/or a dysfunctional adaptive immunity. Differences in T-cell (including CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, T follicular helper cells, γδ-T-cells, and regulatory T-cells) and B-cell (transitional cells, double-negative 2 cells, antibody-secreting cells) responses have been identified in patients with severe disease compared to mild cases. Moreover, differences in the kinetic/titer of neutralizing antibody responses have been described in severe disease, which may be confounded by antibody-dependent enhancement. Importantly, the presence of preexisting autoantibodies against type I interferon has been described as a major cause of severe/critical disease. Additionally, priorVaccine and multiple vaccine exposure, trained innate immunity, cross-reactive immunity, and serological immune imprinting may all contribute towards disease severity and outcome. Several therapeutic and preventative approaches have been under intense investigations; these include vaccines (three of which have passed Phase 3 clinical trials), therapeutic antibodies, and immunosuppressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Hasan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Ebaa Al-Ozairi
- Clinical Research Unit, Medical Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jabriya, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Zahraa Al-Baqsumi
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Rasheed Ahmad
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Functional Genomics, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
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Su S, Du L, Jiang S. Learning from the past: development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:211-219. [PMID: 33067570 PMCID: PMC7566580 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-00462-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has elicited an equally rapid response aiming to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. These efforts are encouraging; however, comprehensive efficacy and safety evaluations are essential in the development of a vaccine, and we can learn from previous vaccine development campaigns. In this Perspective, we summarize examples of vaccine-associated disease enhancement in the history of developing vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus, dengue virus, SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which highlight the importance of a robust safety and efficacy profile, and present recommendations for preclinical and clinical evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine candidates as well as for vaccine design and optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH/CAM), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lanying Du
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH/CAM), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Khorramdelazad H, Kazemi MH, Najafi A, Keykhaee M, Zolfaghari Emameh R, Falak R. Immunopathological similarities between COVID-19 and influenza: Investigating the consequences of Co-infection. Microb Pathog 2021; 152:104554. [PMID: 33157216 PMCID: PMC7607235 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a global public health emergency since December 2019, and so far, more than 980,000 people (until September 24, 2020) around the world have died. SARS-CoV-2 mimics the influenza virus regarding methods and modes of transmission, clinical features, related immune responses, and seasonal coincidence. Accordingly, co-infection by these viruses is imaginable because some studies have reported several cases with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection. Given the importance of the mentioned co-infection and the coming influenza season, it is essential to recognize the similarities and differences between the symptoms, immunopathogenesis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. Therefore, we reviewed the virology, clinical features, and immunopathogenesis of both influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 and evaluated outcomes in cases with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Kazemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Najafi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Keykhaee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Zolfaghari Emameh
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), 14965/161, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Falak
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Rowntree LC, Chua BY, Nicholson S, Koutsakos M, Hensen L, Douros C, Selva K, Mordant FL, Wong CY, Habel JR, Zhang W, Jia X, Allen L, Doolan DL, Jackson DC, Wheatley AK, Kent SJ, Amanat F, Krammer F, Subbarao K, Cheng AC, Chung AW, Catton M, Nguyen THO, van de Sandt CE, Kedzierska K. Robust correlations across six SARS-CoV-2 serology assays detecting distinct antibody features. Clin Transl Immunology 2021; 10:e1258. [PMID: 33680466 PMCID: PMC7916820 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As the world transitions into a new era of the COVID-19 pandemic in which vaccines become available, there is an increasing demand for rapid reliable serological testing to identify individuals with levels of immunity considered protective by infection or vaccination. METHODS We used 34 SARS-CoV-2 samples to perform a rapid surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), applicable to many laboratories as it circumvents the need for biosafety level-3 containment. We correlated results from the sVNT with five additional commonly used SARS-CoV-2 serology techniques: the microneutralisation test (MNT), in-house ELISAs, commercial Euroimmun- and Wantai-based ELISAs (RBD, spike and nucleoprotein; IgG, IgA and IgM), antigen-binding avidity, and high-throughput multiplex analyses to profile isotype, subclass and Fc effector binding potential. We correlated antibody levels with antibody-secreting cell (ASC) and circulatory T follicular helper (cTfh) cell numbers. RESULTS Antibody data obtained with commercial ELISAs closely reflected results using in-house ELISAs against RBD and spike. A correlation matrix across ten measured ELISA parameters revealed positive correlations for all factors. The frequency of inhibition by rapid sVNT strongly correlated with spike-specific IgG and IgA titres detected by both commercial and in-house ELISAs, and MNT titres. Multiplex analyses revealed strongest correlations between IgG, IgG1, FcR and C1q specific to spike and RBD. Acute cTfh-type 1 cell numbers correlated with spike and RBD-specific IgG antibodies measured by ELISAs and sVNT. CONCLUSION Our comprehensive analyses provide important insights into SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity across distinct serology assays and their applicability for specific research and/or diagnostic questions to assess SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Rowntree
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Brendon Y Chua
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Global Station for Zoonosis ControlGlobal Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI‐CoRE)Hokkaido UniversitySapporoHokkaidoJapan
| | - Suellen Nicholson
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference LaboratoryThe Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Marios Koutsakos
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Luca Hensen
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Celia Douros
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference LaboratoryThe Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Kevin Selva
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Francesca L Mordant
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Chinn Yi Wong
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Jennifer R Habel
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Wuji Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Xiaoxiao Jia
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Lily Allen
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Denise L Doolan
- Centre for Molecular TherapeuticsAustralian Institute of Tropical Health & MedicineJames Cook UniversityCairnsQLDAustralia
| | - David C Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Global Station for Zoonosis ControlGlobal Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI‐CoRE)Hokkaido UniversitySapporoHokkaidoJapan
| | - Adam K Wheatley
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Stephen J Kent
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
- Infectious Diseases DepartmentMelbourne Sexual Health CentreAlfred HealthCentral Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Fatima Amanat
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNYUSA
- Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Kanta Subbarao
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Allen C Cheng
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology UnitAlfred HealthMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Amy W Chung
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Mike Catton
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference LaboratoryThe Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Thi HO Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Carolien E van de Sandt
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin Research and Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Katherine Kedzierska
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Global Station for Zoonosis ControlGlobal Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI‐CoRE)Hokkaido UniversitySapporoHokkaidoJapan
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Bhardwaj A, Sapra L, Saini C, Azam Z, Mishra PK, Verma B, Mishra GC, Srivastava RK. COVID-19: Immunology, Immunopathogenesis and Potential Therapies. Int Rev Immunol 2021; 41:171-206. [PMID: 33641587 PMCID: PMC7919479 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2021.1883600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) imposed public health emergency and affected millions of people around the globe. As of January 2021, 100 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 along with more than 2 million deaths were reported worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines thereby leading to the development of "Cytokine Storm Syndrome." This condition results in uncontrollable inflammation that further imposes multiple-organ-failure eventually leading to death. SARS-CoV-2 induces unrestrained innate immune response and impairs adaptive immune responses thereby causing tissue damage. Thus, understanding the foremost features and evolution of innate and adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial in anticipating COVID-19 outcomes and in developing effective strategies to control the viral spread. In the present review, we exhaustively discuss the sequential key immunological events that occur during SARS-CoV-2 infection and are involved in the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19. In addition to this, we also highlight various therapeutic options already in use such as immunosuppressive drugs, plasma therapy and intravenous immunoglobulins along with various novel potent therapeutic options that should be considered in managing COVID-19 infection such as traditional medicines and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Bhardwaj
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Leena Sapra
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Chaman Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Zaffar Azam
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Pradyumna K. Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-NIREH, Nehru Hospital Building, Gandhi Medical College Campus, Bhopal, India
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Gyan C. Mishra
- Lab # 1, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune, India
| | - Rupesh K. Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Alipoor SD, Mortaz E, Jamaati H, Tabarsi P, Bayram H, Varahram M, Adcock IM. COVID-19: Molecular and Cellular Response. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:563085. [PMID: 33643932 PMCID: PMC7904902 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.563085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In late December 2019, a vtiral pneumonia with an unknown agent was reported in Wuhan, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the causative agent. Because of the human-to-human transmission and rapid spread; coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly increased to an epidemic scale and poses a severe threat to human health; it has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). This review aims to summarize the recent research progress of COVID-19 molecular features and immunopathogenesis to provide a reference for further research in prevention and treatment of SARS coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection based on the knowledge from researches on SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamila D. Alipoor
- Molecular Medicine Department, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Mortaz
- Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Jamaati
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Payam Tabarsi
- Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hasan Bayram
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Koc University School of Medicine, Koc University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohammad Varahram
- Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ian M. Adcock
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London and the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
- Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Peterhoff D, Glück V, Vogel M, Schuster P, Schütz A, Neubert P, Albert V, Frisch S, Kiessling M, Pervan P, Werner M, Ritter N, Babl L, Deichner M, Hanses F, Lubnow M, Müller T, Lunz D, Hitzenbichler F, Audebert F, Hähnel V, Offner R, Müller M, Schmid S, Burkhardt R, Glück T, Koller M, Niller HH, Graf B, Salzberger B, Wenzel JJ, Jantsch J, Gessner A, Schmidt B, Wagner R. A highly specific and sensitive serological assay detects SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in COVID-19 patients that correlate with neutralization. Infection 2021; 49:75-82. [PMID: 32827125 PMCID: PMC7441844 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-020-01503-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic challenges national health systems and the global economy. Monitoring of infection rates and seroprevalence can guide public health measures to combat the pandemic. This depends on reliable tests on active and former infections. Here, we set out to develop and validate a specific and sensitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels. METHODS In our ELISA, we used SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and a stabilized version of the spike (S) ectodomain as antigens. We assessed sera from patients infected with seasonal coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 and controls. We determined and monitored IgM-, IgA- and IgG-antibody responses towards these antigens. In addition, for a panel of 22 sera, virus neutralization and ELISA parameters were measured and correlated. RESULTS The RBD-based ELISA detected SARS-CoV-2-directed antibodies, did not cross-react with seasonal coronavirus antibodies and correlated with virus neutralization (R2 = 0.89). Seroconversion started at 5 days after symptom onset and led to robust antibody levels at 10 days after symptom onset. We demonstrate high specificity (99.3%; N = 1000) and sensitivity (92% for IgA, 96% for IgG and 98% for IgM; > 10 days after PCR-proven infection; N = 53) in serum. CONCLUSIONS With the described RBD-based ELISA protocol, we provide a reliable test for seroepidemiological surveys. Due to high specificity and strong correlation with virus neutralization, the RBD ELISA holds great potential to become a preferred tool to assess thresholds of protective immunity after infection and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Peterhoff
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Vivian Glück
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Vogel
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Schuster
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anja Schütz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Philip Neubert
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Veruschka Albert
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Frisch
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mara Kiessling
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Philip Pervan
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maren Werner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Ritter
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Leon Babl
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maria Deichner
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Frank Hanses
- Department for Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Emergency Department, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Lubnow
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Lunz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Florian Hitzenbichler
- Department for Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Viola Hähnel
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert Offner
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martina Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Schmid
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Burkhardt
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Koller
- Center for Clinical Studies, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hans Helmut Niller
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Graf
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Salzberger
- Department for Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen J Wenzel
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan Jantsch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - André Gessner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmidt
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Ralf Wagner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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Ratre YK, Kahar N, Bhaskar LVKS, Bhattacharya A, Verma HK. Molecular mechanism, diagnosis, and potential treatment for novel coronavirus (COVID-19): a current literature review and perspective. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:94. [PMID: 33520580 PMCID: PMC7832422 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02657-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus which belongs to the Coronaviridae family. COVID-19 outbreak became evident after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in the twenty-first century as the start of the third deadly coronavirus. Currently, research is at an early stage, and the exact etiological dimensions of COVID-19 are unknown. Several candidate drugs and plasma therapy have been considered and evaluated for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. These include clinically available drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and lopinavir/ritonavir. However, understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of this virus is critical for predicting interaction with humans. Based on recent evidence, we have summarized the current virus biology in terms of the possible understanding of the various pathophysiologies, molecular mechanisms, recent efficient diagnostics, and therapeutic approaches to control the disease. In addition, we briefly reviewed the biochemistry of leading candidates for novel therapies and their current status in clinical trials. As information from COVID-19 is evolving rapidly, this review will help the researcher to consider new insights and potential therapeutic approaches based on up-to-date knowledge. Finally, this review illustrates a list of alternative therapeutic solutions for a viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Namrata Kahar
- Department of Zoology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | | | - Antaripa Bhattacharya
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Henu Kumar Verma
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Lab, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology CNR, Naples, Italy
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Dobaño C, Vidal M, Santano R, Jiménez A, Chi J, Barrios D, Ruiz-Olalla G, Rodrigo Melero N, Carolis C, Parras D, Serra P, Martínez de Aguirre P, Carmona-Torre F, Reina G, Santamaria P, Mayor A, García-Basteiro AL, Izquierdo L, Aguilar R, Moncunill G. Highly Sensitive and Specific Multiplex Antibody Assays To Quantify Immunoglobulins M, A, and G against SARS-CoV-2 Antigens. J Clin Microbiol 2021. [PMID: 33127841 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.11.147363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reliable serological tests are required to determine the prevalence of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and to characterize immunity to the disease in order to address key knowledge gaps in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Quantitative suspension array technology (qSAT) assays based on the xMAP Luminex platform overcome the limitations of rapid diagnostic tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with their higher precision, dynamic range, throughput, miniaturization, cost-efficiency, and multiplexing capacity. We developed three qSAT assays for IgM, IgA, and IgG against a panel of eight SARS-CoV-2 antigens, including spike protein (S), nucleocapsid protein (N), and membrane protein (M) constructs. The assays were optimized to minimize the processing time and maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. We evaluated their performances using 128 prepandemic plasma samples (negative controls) and 104 plasma samples from individuals with SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (positive controls), of whom 5 were asymptomatic, 51 had mild symptoms, and 48 were hospitalized. Preexisting IgG antibodies recognizing N, M, and S proteins were detected in negative controls, which is suggestive of cross-reactivity to common-cold coronaviruses. The best-performing antibody/antigen signatures had specificities of 100% and sensitivities of 95.78% at ≥14 days and 95.65% at ≥21 days since the onset of symptoms, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.977 and 0.999, respectively. Combining multiple markers as assessed by qSAT assays has the highest efficiency, breadth, and versatility to accurately detect low-level antibody responses for obtaining reliable data on the prevalence of exposure to novel pathogens in a population. Our assays will allow gaining insights into antibody correlates of immunity and their kinetics, required for vaccine development to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota Dobaño
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Vidal
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Santano
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alfons Jiménez
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Chi
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Diana Barrios
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gemma Ruiz-Olalla
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Natalia Rodrigo Melero
- Biomolecular Screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlo Carolis
- Biomolecular Screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Parras
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Serra
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Carmona-Torre
- Infectious Diseases Division, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Clinical Microbiology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gabriel Reina
- Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pere Santamaria
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- Julia McFarlane Diabetes Research Centre, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alberto L García-Basteiro
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- International Health Department, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ruth Aguilar
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gemma Moncunill
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Ni Y, Alu A, Lei H, Wang Y, Wu M, Wei X. Immunological perspectives on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of COVID-19. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2021; 2:1. [PMID: 34766001 PMCID: PMC7815329 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-020-00015-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). COVID-19 can spread to the entire body and cause multiple organ failure. It is a daunting challenge to control the fast growing worldwide pandemic because effective prevention and treatment strategies are unavailable currently. Generally, the immune response of the human body triggered by viral infection is essential for the elimination of the virus. However, severe COVID-19 patients may manifest dysregulated immune responses, such as lymphopenia, lymphocyte exhaustion, exacerbated antibody response, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), etc. Understanding of these immunological characteristics may help identify better approaches for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients. As specific anti-viral agents are notoriously difficult to develop, strategies for modulating the immune responses by either developing novel vaccines or using immunotherapy hold great promise to improve the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghong Ni
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 P. R. China
| | - Aqu Alu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Hong Lei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Yang Wang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203 USA
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
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50
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Zhou D, Tian X, Qi R, Peng C, Zhang W. Identification of 22 N-glycosites on spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and accessible surface glycopeptide motifs: Implications for vaccination and antibody therapeutics. Glycobiology 2021; 31:69-80. [PMID: 32518941 PMCID: PMC7313968 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwaa052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses hijack human enzymes to assemble the sugar coat on their spike glycoproteins. The mechanisms by which human antibodies may recognize the antigenic viral peptide epitopes hidden by the sugar coat are unknown. Glycosylation by insect cells differs from the native form produced in human cells, but insect cell-derived influenza vaccines have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. In this study, we analyzed recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein secreted from BTI-Tn-5B1-4 insect cells, by trypsin and chymotrypsin digestion followed by mass spectrometry analysis. We acquired tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectrums for glycopeptides of all 22 predicted N-glycosylated sites. We further analyzed the surface accessibility of spike proteins according to cryogenic electron microscopy and homolog-modeled structures and available antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-1. All 22 N-glycosylated sites of SARS-CoV-2 are modified by high-mannose N-glycans. MS/MS fragmentation clearly established the glycopeptide identities. Electron densities of glycans cover most of the spike receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, except YQAGSTPCNGVEGFNCYFPLQSYGFQPTNGVGYQ, similar to a region FSPDGKPCTPPALNCYWPLNDYGFYTTTGIGYQ in SARS-CoV-1. Other surface-exposed domains include those located on central helix, connecting region, heptad repeats and N-terminal domain. Because the majority of antibody paratopes bind to the peptide portion with or without sugar modification, we propose a snake-catching model for predicted paratopes: a minimal length of peptide is first clamped by a paratope and sugar modifications close to the peptide either strengthen or do not hinder the binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhou
- Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.,Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
| | - Xiaoxu Tian
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ruibing Qi
- Innovation Team of Small Animal Infectious Disease, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Chao Peng
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, 200433 Gongwei Road, Shanghai, China.,Department of Systems Biology for Medicine, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 138 Yixueyuan Road, Shanghai 200032, China
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