University’s scientists in Germany have developed nanotel, which effectively block Coronavirus SARS-COV-2 and its new dangerous options. At the same time, they are a thousand times superior to the previously created analogues. Since nanotel can be carried out with lowest costs and in large quantities, this new tool in case of successful clinical trials will be able to satisfy the global demand for therapeutic drugs against COVID-19. This is reported in the article published in The EMBO Journal.
Nanotel is a reduced version of antibodies – molecules that are attached to viruses and other infectious agents and neutralize them. The mini-antibodies or VHH are directed against the coronavirus S-protein, which is involved in attaching the virus to receptors on the surface of the infected cell and the subsequent penetration of it inside. Nanotel blocked recipe-binding coronavirus domain, preventing infection.
To create nanotel, scientists were immunized by three alpaca so that they produce mini-antibodies to the S-protein. The researchers then took blood samples and allocated about a billion different antibodies. For the selection of the 45 most effective molecules, bacteriophages were used, which carried the receptor-binding domain of the coronavirus on their surface. After that, nanotel was tested on the neutralization efficiency of SARS-COV-2 and prevent the virus replication in cells.
researchers also designed various structures from nanotel. For example, triads consisting of several molecules – three identical nanotel connected with each other. The Triad corresponds to the symmetry of the three receptor-binding domains of S-protein, which cannot be released, which increases the efficiency of the virus neutralization of 30 thousand times compared with single bodies. In addition, in this case, the release of nanotel from the body slows down, which contributes to a longer therapeutic effect.
Another use of tandems became a tone of two molecules. They are aimed at different parts of the receptor-binding domain and block the S-protein together. It is proved that single, double and triple nanotel even in very small quantities are able to stop the pathogen.