Primate-specific BTN3A2 protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection by interacting with and reducing ACE2.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an immune-related disorder caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The complete pathogenesis of the virus remains to be determined. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms governing SARS-CoV-2 interactions with host cells is crucial for the formulation of effective prophylactic measures and the advancement of COVID-19 therapeutics.

Development of potent pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors with a new design strategy.

Development of potent and broad-spectrum drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains one of the top priorities, especially in the cases of the emergence of mutant viruses and inability of current vaccines to prevent viral transmission. In this study, we have generated a novel membrane fusion-inhibitory lipopeptide IPB29, which is currently under clinical trials; herein, we report its design strategy and preclinical data. First, we surprisingly found that IPB29 with a rigid linker between the peptide sequence and lipid molecule had greatly improved α-helical structure and antiviral activity.

TLR9 promotes monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell induction during JEV infection.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a group of heterologous populations of immature bone marrow cells consisting of progenitor cells of macrophages, dendritic cells and granulocytes. Recent studies have revealed that the accumulation of MDSCs in the mouse spleen plays a pivotal role in suppressing the immune response following JEV infection. However, the mechanisms by which JEV induces MDSCs are poorly understood.

A culture-free method for rapidly and accurately quantifying active SARS-CoV-2.

Determining the quantity of active virus is the most important basis to judge the risk of virus infection, which usually relies on the virus median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID) assay performed in a biosafety level 3 laboratory within 5-7 days. We have developed a culture-free method for rapid and accurate quantification of active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by targeting subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) based on reverse transcription digital PCR (RT-dPCR). The dynamic range of quantitative assays for sgRNA-N and sgRNA-E by RT-dPCR was investigated, and the result showed that the limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) were 2 copies/reaction and 10 copies/reaction, respectively.

Preclinical evaluation of ISH0339, a tetravalent broadly neutralizing bispecific antibody against SARS-CoV-2 with long-term protection.

Background: Ending the global COVID-19 pandemic requires efficacious therapies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nevertheless, the emerging Omicron sublineages largely escaped the neutralization of current authorized monoclonal antibody therapies. Here we report a tetravalent bispecific antibody ISH0339, as a potential candidate for long-term and broad protection against COVID-19.

Relationship between SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and N gene and its application in antigen testing kits evaluation.

More than forty antigen testing kits have been approved to response the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and its variant strains. However, the approved antigen testing kits are not capable of quantitative detection. Here, we successfully developed a lateral flow immunoassay based on colloidal gold nanoparticles (CGNP-based LFIA) for nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 quantitative detection.

Characteristics of replication and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta isolates.

The continuously arising of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been posting a great threat to public health safety globally, from B.1.17 (Alpha), B.

Corrigendum: brain microvascular endothelial cell-derived HMGB1 facilitates monocyte adhesion and transmigration to promote JEV neuroinvasion.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.

Specific inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome suppresses immune overactivation and alleviates COVID-19 like pathology in mice.

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a great threat to global public health since 2020. Although the advance on vaccine development has been largely achieved, a strategy to alleviate immune overactivation in severe COVID-19 patients is still needed. The NLRP3 inflammasome is activated upon SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated with COVID-19 severity.

Corrigendum: Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell-Derived HMGB1 Facilitates Monocyte Adhesion and Transmigration to Promote JEV Neuroinvasion.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.

Fast and long-lasting immune response to S-trimer COVID-19 vaccine adjuvanted by PIKA.

Unlabelled: In the face of the emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, there is an urgent need to develop a vaccine that can induce fast, effective, long-lasting and broad protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we developed a trimeric SARS-CoV-2 S protein vaccine candidate adjuvanted by PIKA, which can induce robust cellular and humoral immune responses. The results showed a high level of neutralizing antibodies induced by the vaccine was maintained for at least 400 days.

Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell-Derived HMGB1 Facilitates Monocyte Adhesion and Transmigration to Promote JEV Neuroinvasion.

Infection with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) induces high morbidity and mortality, including potentially permanent neurological sequelae. However, the mechanisms by which viruses cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and invade into the central nervous system (CNS) remain unclear. Here, we show that extracellular HMGB1 facilitates immune cell transmigration.

Inflammatory Environment Promotes the Adhesion of Tumor Cells to Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Cancer patients usually suffer from unfavorable prognosis, particularly with the occurrence of brain metastasis of lung cancer. The key incident of brain metastasis initiation is crossing of blood-brain barrier (BBB) by cancer cells. Although preventing brain metastasis is a principal goal of cancer therapy, the cellular mechanisms and molecular regulators controlling the transmigration of cancer cells into the brain are still not clearly illustrated.

SARS-CoV-2 M inhibitors with antiviral activity in a transgenic mouse model.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continually poses serious threats to global public health. The main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a central role in viral replication. We designed and synthesized 32 new bicycloproline-containing M inhibitors derived from either boceprevir or telaprevir, both of which are approved antivirals.