Researchers based in Paris, France, have explored the potential use of zebrafish larvae as animal models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These larvae are small and cheap, so could prove a suitable medium for rapid mass testing of the disease.
In a recent bioRxiv preprint, the large team of researchers evaluated a SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain ferritin nanoparticle protein vaccine (RFN) in a nonhuman primate challenge model. This study addresses the need for a next-generation, efficacious vaccine with an increased pan-SARS breadth of coverage.
The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is a class I fusion glycoprotein responsible for interacting with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the surface of human cells, enabling cell entry. It is the primary target of both natural and vaccine-acquired neutralizing antibodies.
The spike protein is coated in a thick glycan shield that plays a role in target site recognition, towards both the ACE2 receptor and neutralizing antibodies, and in conformational stability, modulating the state of the spike protein between closed and open forms and granting stability to the open prefusion form, which affords enhanced affinity towards the ACE2 receptor by presenting the receptor-binding domain.
Previously approved drugs starting points for COVID-19 therapeutics
Researchers in the United States have identified several clinically approved compounds that could be repurposed for the treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
By screening a commercial library of drugs that have already been approved by international regulatory agencies, the team identified more than 50 compounds that demonstrated some efficacy in blocking the initial stage of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of COVID-19.
The compounds were able to disrupt the binding of a surface viral protein called Spike to its host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).
Researchers provide ultrastructural details of SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory epithelial cells
A team of scientists from the United Kingdom recently investigated the ultrastructural details of the attachment, entry, and budding processes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the human airway epithelium. They have used a highly differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of airway epithelium to thoroughly investigate the viral infection cycle. The study is currently available on the
Background
SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family. The virus primarily attacks human airway epithelial cells to initiate infection. Mechanistically, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S1 subunit of the viral spike glycoprotein binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is ubiquitously expressed at the apical surface of host airway epithelial cells. This is