After all the warnings against breathing drops of coronavirus, could the answer to fighting the pandemic be an inhaler? Scientists at the University of California San Francisco have developed an aerosol formulation made of anti-antibody nanobodies that can prevent the virus from infecting cells.
Even if administered via an inhaler or nasal spray, it can be a breakthrough approach to treating the coronavirus while the world waits for a reliable vaccine.
The researchers found that certain nanobodies, derived from llamas and camels, can cling to the spike protein found on the outside of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralize it. Their synthetic versions of these nanobodies are called AeroNabs.
“Once a day, AeroNabs used strong, reliable protection against SARS-CoV-2 until a vaccine was obtained,” the researchers said in their findings published in bioRxiv.
Nanobodies are antibody-like immune proteins found in llamas and camels. They are much smaller than human antibodies, making them easier to manipulate and alter in the lab. Plus, unlike human antibodies, nanobodies can be mass-produced easily and cheaply.
The UCSF team researched roughly two billion synthetic nanobodies to find those that could attach to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and then reconstruct them to be even stronger. During their research, they found that the nanobodies remained effective in aerosol form so that they could be controlled via a plank-stable inhaler or nasal spray.
“Much more effective than portable forms of personal protection equipment, we think of AeroNabs as a molecular form of PPE that could serve as a major stopgap until faxes provide a more permanent solution for COVID-19,” said AeroNabs co-inventor Peter Walter, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
The inhaler or nasal spray will need to undergo clinical trials before they become commercially available. If these tests are successful, AeroNabs could be widely available as an inexpensive, over-the-counter medication to prevent and treat COVID-19.
