COVID-19: Kitasato Univ suppresses corona infection with VHH antibody: Acquires infection suppressing ability (neutralizing ability)
COVID-19:
Update date May 7, 2020 17:57 JST
Kitasato University / Kao / Bioventure EME
On May 7, it was announced that “We have discovered an antibody that has the ability to suppress new coronavirus infections.”
“The VHH antibody binds to the virus and suppresses the infection of cells,”
Kao’s research process:
From the sequence information of the antibody
Artificially synthesize candidate genes,
Antibodies were produced using microorganisms.
Research Group:
In the future, this antibody will be used for COVID-19.
Bioventure EME and Kao extracted “antibody candidates that bind to proteins derived from the target virus”.
Kitasato University:
Satoshi Omura Memorial Research Institute / Professor Kazuhiko Katayama
evaluated the ability of antibodies against viruses.
Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.co.jp/news/articles/2020-05-07/Q9XW6AT1UM0W01
Kitasato University Satoshi Omura Memorial Research Group / Professor Kazuhiko Katayama Research Group
-Successful acquisition of VHH antibody capable of suppressing infection (neutralizing ability) against SARS-CoV-2-
■ Research results
1. EME and Kao
Obtain sequence information of candidate VHH antibody using cDNA display method
Kao uses EME’s “high-throughput VHH antibody screening / cDNA display technology * 2”.
Screening was carried out using the “new coronavirus / S1 protein * 3 expressed in cultured human cells” as the target molecule.
Obtained the sequence information of the candidate VHH antibody.
2. Kao
Preparation of candidate VHH antibody (artificial synthesis)
Kao uses the bio-production technology cultivated through many years of research and development.
Succeeded in “artificially synthesizing candidate genes obtained from candidate VHH antibody / sequence information”.
Microbial VHH antibody was produced.
The binding ability of the prepared VHH antibody to the target molecule was evaluated.
As a result, we confirmed that the candidate VHH antibody binds to the target molecule (Fig. 3).
3. Kitasato University jointly with Kao
Evaluation of infection control ability of candidate VHH antibody using novel coronavirus
Kitasato University Satoshi Omura Memorial Institute:
Laboratory of virus infection control I developed “Technology for evaluating drug inactivating effect on SARS-CoV-2”.
Using the candidate VHH antibody provided by Kao,
Binding to new coronavirus particles,
Check for neutralizing activity,
We evaluated the ability of candidate VHH antibodies to suppress infection.
as a result:
It was confirmed that “when this VHH antibody is added, the infection of new coronavirus into cells is suppressed”.
From this,
The obtained VHH antibody is
Not only does it bind to the new coronavirus,
It became clear that it has the ability to suppress infection.
Future outlook:
In this study, it was discovered that “VHH antibodies bind to the novel coronavirus.”
In the future, we can expect “suppression of infectivity by obtaining VHH antibody”.
In the future, we will continue to study and disseminate ways to utilize the results of this year around the world.
Kitasato University (May 7)-University Press Center
https://www.u-presscenter.jp/2020/05/post-43626.html
Research group by Professor Kazuhiko Katayama, Satoshi Omura Memorial Institute, Kitasato University
Succeeded in acquiring VHH antibody that has the ability to suppress infection (neutralizing ability) against SARS-CoV-2
https://www.kitasato-u.ac.jp/jp/albums/abm.php?f=abm00026718.pdf&n=20200507_新型コロナウイルス（SARS-CoV-2）に対して感染抑制能（中和能）を有するVHH抗体の取得に成功.pdf