Discovery and multimerization of cross-reactive single-domain antibodies against SARS-like viruses to enhance potency and address emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

ABSTRACT: Coronaviruses have been the causative agent of three epidemics and pandemics in the past two decades, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A broadly-neutralizing coronavirus therapeutic is desirable not only to prevent and treat COVID-19, but also to provide protection for high-risk populations against future emergent coronaviruses. As all coronaviruses use spike proteins on the viral surface to enter the host cells, and these spike proteins share sequence and structural homology, we set out to discover cross-reactive biologic agents targeting the spike protein to block viral entry. Through llama immunization campaigns, we have identified single domain antibodies (VHHs) that are cross-reactive against multiple emergent coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS). Importantly, a numb

SUBMITTER: Hollingsworth SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10444775 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature