Fusion-inhibition peptide broadly inhibits influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, including Delta and Omicron variants

Autor: Hanjun Zhao, Xinjie Meng, Zheng Peng, Hoiyan Lam, Chuyuan Zhang, Xinxin Zhou, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Richard Yi Tsun Kao, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Kwok-Yung Yuen
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Emerging Microbes and Infections, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 926-937 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 22221751
2222-1751
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2051753
Popis: Pandemic influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 vaiants have posed major global threats to public health. Broad-spectrum antivirals blocking viral entry can be an effective strategy for combating these viruses. Here, we demonstrate a frog-defensin-derived basic peptide (FBP), which broadly inhibits the influenza virus by binding to haemagglutinin so as to block low pH-induced HA-mediated fusion and antagonizes endosomal acidification to inhibit the influenza virus. Moreover, FBP can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike to block spike-mediated cell–cell fusion in 293T/ACE2 cells endocytosis. Omicron spike shows a weak cell–cell fusion mediated by TMPRSS2 in Calu3 cells, making the Omicron variant sensitive to endosomal inhibitors. In vivo studies show that FBP broadly inhibits the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in mice and SARS-CoV-2 (HKU001a and Delta)in hamsters. Notably, FBP shows significant inhibition of Omicron variant replication even though it has a high number of mutations in spike. In conclusion, these results suggest that virus-targeting FBP with a high barrier to drug resistance can be an effective entry-fusion inhibitor against influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 in vivo.
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