Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte platform screens inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Thomas L. Williams; Maria T. Colzani; Robyn G. C. Macrae; Emma L. Robinson; Stuart Bloor; Edward J. D. Greenwood; Jun Ru Zhan; Gregory Strachan; Rhoda E. Kuc; Duuamene Nyimanu; Janet J. Maguire; Paul J. Lehner; Sanjay Sinha; Anthony P. Davenport

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02453-y

Communications Biology (Jul 2021)

Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte platform screens inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Thomas L. Williams,
Maria T. Colzani,
Robyn G. C. Macrae,
Emma L. Robinson,
Stuart Bloor,
Edward J. D. Greenwood,
Jun Ru Zhan,
Gregory Strachan,
Rhoda E. Kuc,
Duuamene Nyimanu,
Janet J. Maguire,
Paul J. Lehner,
Sanjay Sinha,
Anthony P. Davenport

Affiliations

Thomas L. Williams: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Maria T. Colzani: Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Robyn G. C. Macrae: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Emma L. Robinson: School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Denver
Stuart Bloor: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Edward J. D. Greenwood: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Jun Ru Zhan: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Gregory Strachan: Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Metabolic Research Laboratories
Rhoda E. Kuc: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Duuamene Nyimanu: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Janet J. Maguire: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Paul J. Lehner: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Sanjay Sinha: Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge
Anthony P. Davenport: Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02453-y
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Williams et al. confirm that human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes express the protein machinery critical for SARS-CoV-2 infection and are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein pseudotyped virus infection. They further use this platform as a screen to identify inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection, reporting benztropine (targeting B0AT1/ACE2 complex) and DX600 (targeting ACE2) as potential inhibitors.

Published in Communications Biology

ISSN: 2399-3642 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.nature.com/commsbio/

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