High-Throughput Screening Assay for Convalescent Sera in COVID-19: Efficacy, Donor Selection, and Variant Neutralization

Autor: Krishna P. Kota, Ilya Trakht, Gavreel Kalantarov, David Ordonez, Jiayi Wei, Stephanie Trefry, Evia Bavari, Jenny Richardson, Rouzbeh Zamani, Christy Raney, Farooq Nasar, Bruce Daugherty, Seth Lederman, Sina Bavari
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Microorganisms, Vol 12, Iss 8, p 1503 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-2607
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12081503
Popis: Convalescent sera, rich in pathogen-specific antibodies, offers passive immunity to patients with infectious diseases. Screening assays using convalescent sera are crucial for evaluating therapeutic efficacy, selecting suitable serum donors, and standardizing assays. They measure antibody levels, neutralizing potential, and specificity against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, ensuring therapeutic serum contains potent antibodies. Standardized procedures enable reliable results and wider adoption of serum therapy for COVID-19. We have developed a high-content image-based assay for screening convalescent sera against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Using various cell lines, we identified optimal candidates, employed immunofluorescence to visualize infected cells, and assessed neutralizing antibody efficacy. Screening convalescent sera for therapeutic potential identified neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Dose–response analysis showed variable neutralizing activity, with some sera exhibiting broad neutralization. Additionally, we explored the synergy between neutralizing sera and β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC), an initial metabolite of molnupiravir. These assays enhance serum therapy’s benefits for COVID-19 treatment and aid in understanding neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants, addressing viral challenges.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals