Browsing by Subject "Coronavirus"

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    Effects of Active Site Inhibitors on APN-dependent Coronavirus Entry
    (2017-06) Cai, Yijian
    Aminopeptidase N(APN) has been shown as a receptor of several coronaviruses, such as HCoV-229E, TGEV, CCoV and FeCoV. Bestatin and Actinonin are inhibitors which can block APN enzymatic activity. These inhibitors bind to the catalytic site of APN, while viruses bind to the outer surface of APN. Here we investigate the mechanism of APN inhibition on protein-protein binding, receptor expression and coronavirus entry. We find that these chemical compounds can inhibit the protein-protein interaction between APN and Coronavirus spike; these inhibitors can also regulate APN RNA and protein expression; additionally, these compounds can inhibit the pseudovirus entry of HCoV-229E into human cells at a certain level. Additionally, coronavirus spike-treated human cells show a decrease in APN expression. This phenomenon may reveal an adaptation of cells to the different treatments and conditions. Our research may provide a new potential strategy for antiviral treatment.
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    A simple, affordable, nature-enabled antiviral face covering for airborne coronavirus control
    (2023-05) Bastawisy, Tareq
    In response to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, citizens from around the world utilized common household fabrics to prevent infection or spread of the virus at the source. However, these common fabrics have an overall low filtration efficiency to remove viral-laden aerosols. This study aims to improve the performance of these common fabrics by applying antimicrobial proteins as a coating to enhance the capture of viral-laden aerosols. The antiviral proteins are a type of host defense peptide that carries positive charge, and naturally abundant from a tropical plant named Moringa Oleifera. The methods utilize common fabrics such as polyester material, to facilitate immobilization of the protein through simple electrostatic binding, verified by streaming potential. The protocols developed were simple enough to achieve at homes, such as the use of coffee grinders and filters to extract the protein serum, followed by dipping the textile to coat. This method was able to achieve an 85% increase in positive charge, suggesting that our simple dip coating procedure was successful and could be done by citizens at home. Finally, through Integrated Cell Culture-Reverse Transcription-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (ICC-RT-qPCR), using murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a surrogate to SARS-CoV-2, the serum coating results in a 5-log (99.999%) inactivation of virus in only 15 minutes of contact. Our work presents a new low-cost, natural, and highly effective coating to enhance viral capture of common household textiles that could be prepared by citizens at home to slow down the pandemic and possible future outbreaks.