Led by researcher Kurt Zatloukal, focused on developing therapeutics to block SARS-CoV-2 infections and replication, particularly by inhibiting the virus’s binding to its receptor on human cells. The approach targeted the spike protein’s interaction with the ACE2 receptor, a key step in the virus’s entry into human cells. The significance of this strategy lies in its potential effectiveness against emerging virus variants characterized by increased spike protein binding to ACE2.
The study aimed to evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activity of ACE2-Fc in a therapeutic setting using a hamster model. This involved infecting golden Syrian hamsters with SARS-CoV-2, implementing various treatment regimens with ACE2-Fc, and assessing outcomes over a 5-day period post-infection.
The work, conducted at the animal BSL3 facilities at IRTA-CReSA, included diverse analyses such as genomic RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection, histopathological evaluation of lungs, and shipping biological samples to the Medical University Graz for additional assessments, including RT-qPCR of antiviral genes and determination of infectious viral titers in lungs.
The outcomes indicated promising results, as the intranasal application of ACE2-Fc demonstrated a reduction in weight loss in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters and a significant decrease in infectious viral titers in the lungs. The study also explored a combined formulation of ACE2-Fc with a resveratrol-analogue, although it did not yield additional benefits.
In conclusion, this ISIDORe-supported project advanced the development of a potential therapeutic approach for combating COVID-19, showcasing promising outcomes in a hamster model. The findings contribute valuable insights to the ongoing efforts to control SARS-CoV-2 infections and address the challenges posed by emerging virus variants.