Cong, Y;Mucker, EM;Perry, DL;Dixit, S;Kollins, E;Byrum, R;Huzella, L;Kim, R;Josleyn, M;Kwilas, S;Stefan, C;Shoemaker, CJ;Koehler, J;Coyne, S;Delp, K;Liang, J;Drawbaugh, D;Hischak, A;Hart, R;Postnikova, E;Vaughan, N;Asher, J;St Claire, M;Hanson, J;Schmaljohn, C;Eakin, AE;Hooper, JW;Holbrook, MR;
PMID: 37003305 | DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105589
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the rapid development of a range of therapeutic antibody treatments. As part of the US government's COVID-19 therapeutic response, a research team was assembled to support assay and animal model development to assess activity for therapeutics candidates against SARS-CoV-2. Candidate treatments included monoclonal antibodies, antibody cocktails, and products derived from blood donated by convalescent patients. Sixteen candidate antibody products were obtained directly from manufacturers and evaluated for neutralization activity against the WA-01 isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Products were further tested in the Syrian hamster model using prophylactic (-24 h) or therapeutic (+8 h) treatment approaches relative to intranasal SARS-CoV-2 exposure. In vivo assessments included daily clinical scores and body weights. Viral RNA and viable virus titers were quantified in serum and lung tissue with histopathology performed at 3d and 7d post-virus-exposure. Sham-treated, virus-exposed hamsters showed consistent clinical signs with concomitant weight loss and had detectable viral RNA and viable virus in lung tissue. Histopathologically, interstitial pneumonia with consolidation was present. Therapeutic efficacy was identified in treated hamsters by the absence or diminution of clinical scores, body weight loss, viral loads, and improved semiquantitative lung histopathology scores. This work serves as a model for the rapid, systematic in vitro and in vivo assessment of the efficacy of candidate therapeutics at various stages of clinical development. These efforts provided preclinical efficacy data for therapeutic candidates. Furthermore, these studies were invaluable for the phenotypic characterization of SARS CoV-2 disease in hamsters and of utility to the broader scientific community.
Stein, SR;Ramelli, SC;Grazioli, A;Chung, JY;Singh, M;Yinda, CK;Winkler, CW;Sun, J;Dickey, JM;Ylaya, K;Ko, SH;Platt, AP;Burbelo, PD;Quezado, M;Pittaluga, S;Purcell, M;Munster, VJ;Belinky, F;Ramos-Benitez, MJ;Boritz, EA;Lach, IA;Herr, DL;Rabin, J;Saharia, KK;Madathil, RJ;Tabatabai, A;Soherwardi, S;McCurdy, MT;NIH COVID-19 Autopsy Consortium, ;Peterson, KE;Cohen, JI;de Wit, E;Vannella, KM;Hewitt, SM;Kleiner, DE;Chertow, DS;
PMID: 36517603 | DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05542-y
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause multi-organ dysfunction1-3 during acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with some patients experiencing prolonged symptoms, termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (refs. 4,5). However, the burden of infection outside the respiratory tract and time to viral clearance are not well characterized, particularly in the brain3,6-14. Here we carried out complete autopsies on 44 patients who died with COVID-19, with extensive sampling of the central nervous system in 11 of these patients, to map and quantify the distribution, replication and cell-type specificity of SARS-CoV-2 across the human body, including the brain, from acute infection to more than seven months following symptom onset. We show that SARS-CoV-2 is widely distributed, predominantly among patients who died with severe COVID-19, and that virus replication is present in multiple respiratory and non-respiratory tissues, including the brain, early in infection. Further, we detected persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA in multiple anatomic sites, including throughout the brain, as late as 230 days following symptom onset in one case. Despite extensive distribution of SARS-CoV-2 RNA throughout the body, we observed little evidence of inflammation or direct viral cytopathology outside the respiratory tract. Our data indicate that in some patients SARS-CoV-2 can cause systemic infection and persist in the body for months.
Erjefält, JS;de Souza Xavier Costa, N;Jönsson, J;Cozzolino, O;Dantas, KC;Clausson, CM;Siddhuraj, P;Lindö, C;Alyamani, M;Lombardi, SCFS;Mendroni Júnior, A;Antonangelo, L;Faria, CS;Duarte-Neto, AN;de Almeida Monteiro, RA;Rebello Pinho, JR;Gomes-Gouvêa, MS;Verciano Pereira, R;Monteiro, JS;Setubal, JC;de Oliveira, EP;Theodoro Filho, J;Sanden, C;Orengo, JM;Sleeman, MA;da Silva, LFF;Saldiva, PHN;Dolhnikoff, M;Mauad, T;
PMID: 36027872 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104229
Severe COVID-19 lung disease exhibits a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, with different histological features coexisting within a single individual. It is important to capture the disease complexity to support patient management and treatment strategies. We provide spatially decoded analyses on the immunopathology of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) patterns and factors that modulate immune and structural changes in fatal COVID-19.We spatially quantified the immune and structural cells in exudative, intermediate, and advanced DAD through multiplex immunohistochemistry in autopsy lung tissue of 18 COVID-19 patients. Cytokine profiling, viral, bacteria, and fungi detection, and transcriptome analyses were performed.Spatial DAD progression was associated with expansion of immune cells, macrophages, CD8+ T cells, fibroblasts, and (lymph)angiogenesis. Viral load correlated positively with exudative DAD and negatively with disease/hospital length. In all cases, enteric bacteria were isolated, and Candida parapsilosis in eight cases. Cytokines correlated mainly with macrophages and CD8+T cells. Pro-coagulation and acute repair were enriched pathways in exudative DAD whereas intermediate/advanced DAD had a molecular profile of elevated humoral and innate immune responses and extracellular matrix production.Unraveling the spatial and molecular immunopathology of COVID-19 cases exposes the responses to SARS-CoV-2-induced exudative DAD and subsequent immune-modulatory and remodeling changes in proliferative/advanced DAD that occur side-by-side together with secondary infections in the lungs. These complex features have important implications for disease management and the development of novel treatments.CNPq, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, HC-Convida, FAPESP, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and the Swedish Heart & Lung Foundation.
Motwani, R;Deshmukh, V;Kumar, A;Kumari, C;Raza, K;Krishna, H;
PMID: 35693050 | DOI: 10.53854/liim-3002-1
The mammalian placenta, which is responsible for bonding between the mother and the fetus, is one of the first organs to develop. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused a great threat to public health and affected almost all the organs including the placenta. Owing to limited available data on vertical transmission and pathological changes in the placenta of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, we aim to review and summarize histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the placental tissue following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2009 guidelines were used for review writing. Multiple studies have reported significant pathological changes in the placental tissue of SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers. On the other hand, some studies have demonstrated either no or very little involvement of the placental tissue. The most common pathological changes reported are fetal and maternal vascular malformation, villitis of unknown etiology, thrombus formation in the intervillous space and sub-chorionic space, and chorangiosis. Reports on vertical transmission are less in number. The observations of this review present a strong base for the pathological involvement of the placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers. However, a smaller number of original studies have been done until now, and most of them have small sample sizes and lack matched control groups, which are the big limitations for drawing an effective conclusion at this stage. Antenatal care can be improved by a better understanding of the correlation between maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and placental pathology in COVID-19.
Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology
Hanson, PJ;Liu-Fei, F;Ng, C;Minato, TA;Lai, C;Hossain, AR;Chan, R;Grewal, B;Rai, H;Hirota, J;Anderson, DR;Radio, SJ;McManus, BM;
PMID: 35437316 | DOI: 10.1038/s41374-022-00783-x
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic evolves, much evidence implicates the heart as a critical target of injury in patients. The mechanism(s) of cardiac involvement has not been fully elucidated, although evidence of direct virus-mediated injury, thromboembolism with ischemic complications, and cytokine storm has been reported. We examined suggested mechanisms of COVID-19-associated heart failure in 21 COVID-19-positive decedents, obtained through standard autopsy procedure, compared to clinically matched controls and patients with various etiologies of viral myocarditis. We developed a custom tissue microarray using regions of pathological interest and interrogated tissues via immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was detected in 16/21 patients, in cardiomyocytes, the endothelium, interstitial spaces, and percolating adipocytes within the myocardium. Virus detection typically corresponded with troponin depletion and increased cleaved caspase-3. Indirect mechanisms of injury-venous and arterial thromboses with associated vasculitis including a mixed inflammatory infiltrate-were also observed. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were present in the myocardium of all COVID-19 patients, regardless of injury degree. Borderline myocarditis (inflammation without associated myocyte injury) was observed in 19/21 patients, characterized by a predominantly mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate. Edema, inflammation of percolating adipocytes, lymphocytic aggregates, and large septal masses of inflammatory cells and platelets were observed as defining features, and myofibrillar damage was evident in all patients. Collectively, COVID-19-associated cardiac injury was multifactorial, with elevated levels of NETs and von Willebrand factor as defining features of direct and indirect viral injury.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Li, Q;Vijaykumar, K;Philips, SE;Hussain, SS;Huynh, VN;Fernandez-Petty, CM;Lever, JEP;Foote, JB;Ren, J;Campos-Gómez, J;Daya, FA;Hubbs, NW;Kim, H;Onuoha, E;Boitet, ER;Fu, L;Leung, HM;Yu, L;Detchemendy, TW;Schaefers, LT;Tipper, JL;Edwards, LJ;Leal, SM;Harrod, KS;Tearney, GJ;Rowe, SM;
PMID: 35075457 | DOI: 10.1101/2022.01.16.476016
Substantial clinical evidence supports the notion that ciliary function in the airways plays an important role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Although ciliary damage has been observed in both in vitro and in vivo models, consequent impaired mucociliary transport (MCT) remains unknown for the intact MCT apparatus from an in vivo model of disease. Using golden Syrian hamsters, a common animal model that recapitulates human COVID-19, we quantitatively followed the time course of physiological, virological, and pathological changes upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the deficiency of the MCT apparatus using micro-optical coherence tomography, a novel method to visualize and simultaneously quantitate multiple aspects of the functional microanatomy of intact airways. Corresponding to progressive weight loss up to 7 days post-infection (dpi), viral detection and histopathological analysis in both the trachea and lung revealed steadily descending infection from the upper airways, as the main target of viral invasion, to lower airways and parenchymal lung, which are likely injured through indirect mechanisms. SARS-CoV-2 infection caused a 67% decrease in MCT rate as early as 2 dpi, largely due to diminished motile ciliation coverage, but not airway surface liquid depth, periciliary liquid depth, or cilia beat frequency of residual motile cilia. Further analysis indicated that the fewer motile cilia combined with abnormal ciliary motion of residual cilia contributed to the delayed MCT. The time course of physiological, virological, and pathological progression suggest that functional deficits of the MCT apparatus predispose to COVID-19 pathogenesis by extending viral retention and may be a risk factor for secondary infection. As a consequence, therapies directed towards the MCT apparatus deserve further investigation as a treatment modality.
Binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the avb6 Integrins May Promote Severe COVID in Patients with IPF
TP105. TP105 BASIC MECHANISMS OF LUNG INFECTIONS: FROM SARS-COV-2 TO INFLUENZA
Joseph, C;Peacock, T;Calver, J;John, A;Organ, L;Fainberg, H;Porte, J;Mukhopadhyay, S;Barton, L;Stroberg, E;Duval, E;Copin, M;Poissy, J;Steinestel, K;Tatler, A;Barclay, W;Jenkins, G;
| DOI: 10.1164/ajrccm-conference.2021.203.1_MeetingAbstracts.A4170
RATIONALE: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have worse outcomes following COVID-19. SARSCoV-2 (2019-nCoV) spike protein (S1) harbors an RGD motif in its receptor-binding domain (RBD). Although SARS-CoV-2 is to exploit human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors for cell entry. Single Cell RNA-seq showed that normal lung expresses low levels of ACE2 with very low expression (1.5%) in Alveolar type 2 epithelial cells. It is possible that SARS-CoV-2 needs a cellular co-receptor, which could include integrins, to promote alveolar cell internalization and pneumonitis.METHODS: Solid-phase binding assays were used to investigate S1 binding to ACE2 or αv containing integrins. Pseudovirus entry assays were used to measure the internalization of SARS-CoV-2 into Human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressing different combinations of potential receptors. RNAscope was used to visualize the co-localization of SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, and integrin mRNAs. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of αvβ6 integrins and ACE2 in lung tissue.RESULTS: Binding assays demonstrated that the RGD containing αvβ3 and αvβ6 integrins bound robustly to the SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of Spike protein and overexpression of the αvβ6 integrin modestly augments ACE2 mediated SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviral entry into epithelial cells. In COVID-19 damaged lung ACE2 levels are low but the αvβ6 integrin levels are increased in alveolar epithelium whereas both ACE2 and αvβ6 integrin are increased in lung sections from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared with normal lung samples. CONCLUSION: The SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit can bind αvβ6 integrins augmenting ACE2-dependent internalization of pseudovirus. In IPF patients, ACE2 levels and αvβ6 integrin levels are increased. Increased binding of the SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 and the αvβ6 integrin within fibrotic lung may explain the increased risk of severe COVID in patients with IPF.
Shanmugaraj, B;Khorattanakulchai, N;Panapitakkul, C;Malla, A;Im-Erbsin, R;Inthawong, M;Sunyakumthorn, P;Hunsawong, T;Klungthong, C;Reed, MC;Kemthong, T;Suttisan, N;Malaivijitnond, S;Srimangkornkaew, P;Klinkhamhom, A;Manopwisedjaroen, S;Thitithanyanont, A;Taychakhoonavudh, S;Phoolcharoen, W;
PMID: 35697573 | DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.087
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission has become a global priority. Previously, we showed that a protein subunit vaccine that was developed based on the fusion of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc), produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, and adjuvanted with alum, namely, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1, induced potent immunological responses in both mice and cynomolgus monkeys. Hence, this study evaluated the protective efficacy, safety, and toxicity of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 in K18-hACE2 mice, monkeys and Wistar rats. Two doses of vaccine were administered three weeks apart on Days 0 and 21. The administration of the vaccine to K18-hACE2 mice reduced viral loads in the lungs and brains of the vaccinated animals and protected the mice against challenge with SARS-CoV-2. In monkeys, the results of safety pharmacology tests, general clinical observations, and a core battery of studies of three vital systems, namely, the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, did not reveal any safety concerns. The toxicology study of the vaccine in rats showed no vaccine-related pathological changes, and all the animals remained healthy under the conditions of this study. Furthermore, the vaccine did not cause any abnormal toxicity in rats and was clinically tolerated even at the highest tested concentration. In addition, general health status, body temperature, local toxicity at the administration site, hematology, and blood chemistry parameters were also monitored. Overall, this work presents the results of the first systematic study of the safety profile of a plant-derived vaccine, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1; this approach can be considered a viable strategy for the development of vaccines against COVID-19.
Takada, K;Shimodai-Yamada, S;Suzuki, M;Trinh, Q;Takano, C;Kawakami, K;Asai-Sato, M;Komatsu, A;Okahashi, A;Nagano, N;Misawa, T;Yamaguchi, K;Suzuki, T;Kawana, K;Morioka, I;Yamada, H;Hayakawa, S;Hao, H;Komine-Aizawa, S;
| DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2022.07.010
Although SARS-CoV-2 can infect human placental tissue, vertical transmission is rare. Therefore, the placenta may function as a barrier to inhibit viral transmission to the foetus, though the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in human placental tissue by in situ hybridization with antisense probes targeting the spike protein; tissue staining was much lower when using sense probes for the spike protein. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence directly indicating inefficient viral replication in the SARS-CoV-2-infected placenta. Additional studies are required to reveal the detailed mechanisms.
Journal of the National Medical Association
Chen, C;Li, YW;Shi, PF;Qian, SX;
PMID: 34973847 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.12.003
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in a global health emergency. In addition to common respiratory symptoms, some patients with COVID-19 infections may experience a range of extra-pulmonary manifestations, such as digestive system involvement. Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to suffer from acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) that is associated with disease-related severity and mortality. However, in the context of COVID-19, the exact cause of AMI has yet to be clearly defined. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available data and elucidates the possible underlying mechanisms linking COVID-19 to AMI, in addition to highlighting therapeutic approaches for clinicians. Finally, given the severe global impact of COVID-19, we emphasize the importance of coordinated vaccination programs.
Successful hemostasis of bleeding gastric inflammatory fibroid polyp by endoscopic treatment in a patient with severe COVID-19
Clinical journal of gastroenterology
Murota, A;Yoshi, S;Okuda, R;Oowada, S;Yamakawa, T;Kazama, T;Hirayama, D;Ishigami, K;Yamano, HO;Narimatu, E;Sugita, S;Hasegawa, T;Nakase, H;
PMID: 33840076 | DOI: 10.1007/s12328-021-01402-w
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a pandemic, resulting in a global suspension of non-emergency medical procedures such as screening endoscopic examinations. There have been several reports of COVID-19 patients presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. In this report, we present a case of successful hemostasis of bleeding gastric inflammatory fibroid polyp by endoscopic treatment in a patient with severe COVID-19. The case was under mechanical ventilation with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and the airway was on a closed circuit. This indicates that COVID-19 is associated with not only lung injury but also intestinal damage, and that proper protective protocols are essential in guaranteeing the best outcomes for patients and clinical professionals during this pandemic.
Furusawa, Y;Kiso, M;Iida, S;Uraki, R;Hirata, Y;Imai, M;Suzuki, T;Yamayoshi, S;Kawaoka, Y;
PMID: 37043872 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104561
The SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2 lineage) variant was first identified at the end of 2020 and possessed two unique amino acid substitutions in its spike protein: S-P681R, at the S1/S2 cleavage site, and S-D950N, in the HR1 of the S2 subunit. However, the roles of these substitutions in virus phenotypes have not been fully characterized.We used reverse genetics to generate Wuhan-D614G viruses with these substitutions and delta viruses lacking these substitutions and explored how these changes affected their viral characteristics in vitro and in vivo.S-P681R enhanced spike cleavage and membrane fusion, whereas S-D950N slightly promoted membrane fusion. Although S-681R reduced the virus replicative ability especially in VeroE6 cells, neither substitution affected virus replication in Calu-3 cells and hamsters. The pathogenicity of all recombinant viruses tested in hamsters was slightly but not significantly affected.Our observations suggest that the S-P681R and S-D950N substitutions alone do not increase virus pathogenicity, despite of their enhancement of spike cleavage or fusogenicity.A full list of funding bodies that contributed to this study can be found under Acknowledgments.