NC State researchers led by Ke Cheng, PhD, created a therapeutic approach that mimics the receptor that the virus binds to and then traps the virus before it infect cells. The Department of Medicine’s Jason Lobo, MD, the Kimberly H. Tsamoutales Distinguished Term Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, is a co-author on the study.
Nanodecoys made from human lung spheroid cells (LSCs) can bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, promoting viral clearance and reducing lung injury in a macaque model of COVID-19. By mimicking the receptor that the virus binds to rather than targeting the virus itself, nanodecoy therapy could remain effective against emerging variants of the virus.
SARS-CoV-2 enters a cell when its spike protein binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the cell’s surface. LSCs – a natural mixture of lung epithelial stem cells and mesenchymal cells – also express ACE2, making them a perfect vehicle for tricking the virus.
Read more from the UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom.