USE OF RECOMBINANT S1 PROTEIN WITH hFc FOR ANALYSIS OF SARS-COV-2 ADSORPTION AND EVALUATION OF DRUGS THAT INHIBIT ENTRY INTO VERO E6 CELLS

Immunol Lett. 2023 Sep 6:S0165-2478(23)00145-1. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2023.09.002. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe significant number of deaths and cases of infection by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 requires an urgent demand for effective and available drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.However, the need for biosafety level 3 (NB-3) laboratories for experiments with the virus has made it very difficult for such research to meet this demand. It is known that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), located on the surface of host cells, is the viral receptor for the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. This protein is a tetramer subdivided into S1 and S2 regions, the first of which has the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Thus, drugs that interfere with the interaction between the spike and the receptor (as well as accessory proteins), or suppress their expression, could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry and dissemination between cells. In this sense, we standardized the use of the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S1 Protein with hFc (human Fc) for analysis of binding in VERO E6 cells by flow cytometry, in order to become a new tool for the identification of drugs/antibodies neutralizing agents, dispensing with the use of NB-3. We highlight the drugs minocycline (MCL), nimesulide (NMS) and berberine (BBR), which have effects related to the ACE2 receptor, inhibit inflammation and do not suppress the adaptive immune response (crucial for patient recovery). In view of the potential therapeutic use in C...
Source: Immunology Letters - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research