Project description:In vitro, ACE2 translocates to the nucleus to induce SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, using digital spatial profiling of lung tissues from SARS-CoV-2-infected golden Syrian hamsters, we show that a specific and selective peptide inhibitor of nuclear ACE2 (NACE2i) inhibits viral replication two days after SARS-CoV-2 infection. NACE2i also prevents inflammation and macrophage infiltration, and increases NK cell infiltration in bronchioles. NACE2i treatment restores host translation in infected hamster bronchiolar cells.
Project description:Assess the ability of disulfiram to inhibit NET formation and improve disease outcome in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19. RNA sequencing was performed Golden Syrian hamster lung inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 in PBS or PBS only and treated with disulfiram or vehicle control sesame oil with dexamethasone.
Project description:The ongoing pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), necessitates strategies to identify prophylactic and therapeutic drug candidates for rapid clinical deployment. Here we describe a screening pipeline for the discovery of efficacious SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. Two high-throughput, high-content imaging infection assays (one using HeLa cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 and the other using lung epithelial Calu-3 cells) were developed and used to screen ReFRAME, a best-in-class drug repurposing library. Among the promising hits, the antivirals nelfinavir and the parent of prodrug MK-4482 had most favorable in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic and human safety profiles, and both reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication in an orthogonal human differentiated primary cell model. However, only MK-4482 effectively blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection in a hamster model, likely due to inadequate plasma exposure of nelfinavir.
Project description:RNA sequencing was performed on Golden Syrian hamster fat tissue depots from hamsters inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 in PBS or PBS only
Project description:Drug repurposing is a fast and effective way to develop drugs for an emerging disease such as COVID-19. The main challenges of effective drug repurposing are the discoveries of the right therapeutic targets and the right drugs for combating the disease. Here, we present a systematic repurposing approach, combining Homopharma and hierarchal systems biology networks (HiSBiN), to predict 327 therapeutic targets and 21,233 drug-target interactions of 1,592 FDA drugs for COVID-19. Among these multi-target drugs, eight candidates (along with pimozide and valsartan) were tested and methotrexate was identified to affect 14 therapeutic targets suppressing SARS-CoV-2 entry, viral replication, and COVID-19 pathologies. Through the use of in vitro (EC50 = 0.4 uM) and in vivo models, we show that methotrexate is able to inhibit COVID-19 via multiple mechanisms. Our in vitro studies illustrate that methotrexate can suppress SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication by targeting furin and DHFR of the host, respectively. Additionally, methotrexate inhibits all four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In a Syrian hamster model for COVID-19, methotrexate reduced virus replication, inflammation in the infected lungs. By analysis of transcriptomic analysis of collected samples from hamster lung, we uncovered that neutrophil infiltration and the pathways of innate immune response, adaptive immune response and thrombosis are modulated in the treated animals. We demonstrate that this systematic repurposing approach is potentially useful to identify pharmaceutical targets, multi-target drugs and regulated pathways for a complex disease. Our findings indicate that methotrexate is established as a promising drug against SARS-CoV-2 variants and can be used to treat lung damage and inflammation in COVID-19, warranting future evaluation in clinical trials.
Project description:Here, we systemically profile transcriptional responses to SARS-CoV-2 and IAV in the Syrian golden hamster infection model at 3 and 31 days post-infection. In doing this, we are able to benchmark SARS-CoV-2-induced host-responses against those induced by IAV and highlight unique pathologies that occur in response to SARS-CoV-2 at the peak of infection and following viral clearance. Through profiling of neural (olfactory bulb, medial prefrontal cortex, thalamus, striatum, cerebellum, trigeminal ganglion) and peripheral organ (lung, heart, kidney) tissues, we are able to show that while both viruses are able to induce systemic IFN-I responses and immune activation during acute infection, SARS-CoV-2 induces a uniquely localized and persistent inflammatory phenotype in the olfactory bulb that persists out to 31 days post-infection.
Project description:Viruses manipulate cellular metabolism and macromolecule recycling processes like autophagy. Dysregulated metabolism might lead to excessive inflammatory and autoimmune responses as observed in severe and long COVID-19 patients. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 modulates cellular metabolism and reduces autophagy. Accordingly, compound-driven induction of autophagy limits SARS-CoV-2 propagation. In detail, SARS-CoV-2-infected cells show accumulation of key metabolites, activation of autophagy inhibitors (AKT1, SKP2) and reduction of proteins responsible for autophagy initiation (AMPK, TSC2, ULK1), membrane nucleation, and phagophore formation (BECN1, VPS34, ATG14), as well as autophagosome-lysosome fusion (BECN1, ATG14 oligomers). Consequently, phagophore-incorporated autophagy markers LC3B-II and P62 accumulate, which we confirm in a hamster model and lung samples of COVID-19 patients. Single-nucleus and single-cell sequencing of patient-derived lung and mucosal samples show differential transcriptional regulation of autophagy and immune genes depending on cell type, disease duration, and SARS-CoV-2 replication levels. Targeting of autophagic pathways by exogenous administration of the polyamines spermidine and spermine, the selective AKT1 inhibitor MK-2206, and the BECN1-stabilizing anthelmintic drug niclosamide inhibit SARS-CoV-2 propagation in vitro with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 136.7, 7.67, 0.11, and 0.13 μM, respectively. Autophagy-inducing compounds reduce SARS-CoV-2 propagation in primary human lung cells and intestinal organoids emphasizing their potential as treatment options against COVID-19.
Project description:1. The experiment was performed to assess if the newly discovered Syrian hamster specific anti-PD-L1 antibody could induce a biologically relevant change in transcriptome profile in the tumours. This would confirm that the antibody has functional properties. In the larger picture, the Syrian Hamster model is favored over the mouse model for the development of vaccines and testing of oncolytic viruses/immunotherapies. This is because the model is semi permissive to virus replication compared to the mouse model. We can therefore more reliably assess the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapies, mainly oncolysis and promoter specific transgene expression. Moreover, we wanted to test potential improvements to treatment outcomes when combining oncolytic virotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade. However, there are not many commercially available research tools specific to the Syrian Hamster. This is why we developed an in vivo compatible immune checkpoint inhibitor so that we could assess the combination therapy in the Syrian hamster model. Lastly, we also wanted to validate if we could assess the efficacy of the immunotherapies using biopsies from hamsters to remove unnecessary use of animals. 2. To do this, we engrafted one PDAC tumours on the right flank of Syrian hamsters using 5 x10E+6 HapT1 cells grown in culture. When tumours reached 4-5mm in diameter, the hamsters were injected intraperitoneally with either 300ug of IgG2a control or anti-PD-L1 (clone;11B12-1). Hamsters were treated 8 times and a tumour biopsy was taken one day before the last treatment. The biopsy was immediately stored in RNA-later until extraction with RNA mini kit (Qiagen).
Project description:COVID-19 is the third outbreak of zoonotic coronavirus (CoV) of the century after the epidemic Severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) in 2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) in 2012. Treatment options for CoVs are largely lacking. Here, we show that clofazimine, an anti-leprosy drug with favorable safety and pharmacokinetics profile, possesses pan-coronaviral inhibitory activity, and can antagonize SARS-CoV-2 replication in multiple in vitro systems, including the human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and ex vivo lung cultures. The FDA-approved molecule was found to inhibit multiple steps of viral replication, suggesting polypharmacology is likely underlying its antiviral activity. In a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of clofazimine significantly reduced lung viral load and fecal viral shedding, as well as reversal of cytokine storm. Additionally, clofazimine exhibited antiviral drug synergy when administered with remdesivir. Since clofazimine is orally bioavailable and has a comparatively low manufacturing cost, it is an attractive clinical candidate for outpatient treatment and remdesivir-based combinatorial therapy for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, particularly in developing countries. Taken together, our data provide evidence that clofazimine may prove effective against current pandemic SARS-CoV-2, endemic MERS-CoV in the Middle East, and, possibly most importantly, emerging CoV of the future.