Spike Protein Targeting “Nano-Glue” that Captures and Promotes SARS-CoV-2 Elimination

Abstract

The global emergency caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics can only be solved with adequate preventive and therapeutic strategies, both currently missing. The electropositive Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with abundant β-sheet structure serves as target for COVID-19 therapeutic drug design. Here, we discovered that ultrathin 2D CuInP2S6 (CIPS) nanosheets as a new agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection, which also able to promote viral host elimination. CIPS exhibits extremely high and selective binding capacity with the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with consequent inhibition of virus entry and infection in ACE2-bearing cells and human airway epithelial organoids. CIPS displays nano-viscous properties in selectively binding with spike protein (KD < 1 pM) with negligible toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Further, the CIPS-bound SARS-CoV-2 was quickly phagocytosed and eliminated by macrophages, suggesting CIPS could be successfully used to capture and facilitate the virus host elimination with possibility of triggering anti-viral immunization. Thus, we propose CIPS as a promising nanodrug for future safe and effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, as well as for use as disinfection agent and surface coating material to constrain the SARS-CoV-2 spreading.

Microplastics interact with SARS-CoV-2 and facilitate host cell infection

“…The SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus (SC2-P) was made as the previously report. 35,36 Briefly, using EcoRI (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA), the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-coding sequence was constructed with a Flag tag for obtaining the pCAGGS-SC2-S-Flag. The luciferase genecontaining plasmid pCDH-LUC (pCDH-EF1-MCS-IRES-Puro, CD532A-2; System Biosciences, CA, USA), psPAX2 (#12260; Addgene, Watertown, MA, USA) and the pCAGGS-SC2-S-Flag were transferred into HEK-293T cells using polyetherimide as the transfection reagent.…”

“…In this study, we have examined the interaction of MP and SARS-CoV-2 by using a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein pseudovirus (SC2-P) able to efficiently infect ACE2-expressing cells. 35 The binding of pseudovirus to MP was evaluated, as well as the uptake of virus-coated MP by cells. We further observed that cell infection in vitro was enhanced upon exposure to the pseudovirus carried by MP, and confirmed the effect of MP with authentic SARS-CoV-2.…”