Scientific Reports (Apr 2024)

An RNA-hydrolyzing recombinant minibody prevents both influenza A virus and coronavirus in co-infection models

  • Quynh Xuan Thi Luong,
  • Phuong Thi Hoang,
  • Yongjun Lee,
  • Ramadhani Qurrota Ayun,
  • Kyungho Na,
  • Seonhyeon Park,
  • Chengmin Lin,
  • Phuong Thi Ho,
  • Taek-Kyun Lee,
  • Sukchan Lee

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52810-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract With the lifting of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions, the resurgence of common viral respiratory infections was recorded in several countries worldwide. It facilitates viral co-infection, further burdens the already over-stretched healthcare systems. Racing to find co-infection-associated efficacy therapeutic agents need to be rapidly established. However, it has encountered numerous challenges that necessitate careful investigation. Here, we introduce a potential recombinant minibody-associated treatment, 3D8 single chain variable fragment (scFv), which has been developed as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that acts via its nucleic acid catalytic and cell penetration abilities. In this research, we demonstrated that 3D8 scFv exerted antiviral activity simultaneously against both influenza A viruses (IAVs) and coronaviruses in three established co-infection models comprising two types of coronaviruses [beta coronavirus—human coronavirus OC43 (hCoV-OC43) and alpha coronavirus—porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)] in Vero E6 cells, two IAVs [A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1 (H1N1/PR8) and A/X-31 (H3N2/X-31)] in MDCK cells, and a combination of coronavirus and IAV (hCoV-OC43 and adapted-H1N1) in Vero E6 cells by a statistically significant reduction in viral gene expression, proteins level, and approximately around 85%, 65%, and 80% of the progeny of ‘hCoV-OC43–PEDV’, ‘H1N1/PR8–H3N2/X-31’, and ‘hCoV-OC43–adapted-H1N1’, respectively, were decimated in the presence of 3D8 scFv. Taken together, we propose that 3D8 scFv is a promising broad-spectrum drug for treatment against RNA viruses in co-infection.