v25i2

» The clinically approved metallodrug ranitidine bismuth citrate was found to have potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 through inhibition of the viral helicase and possibly other mechanisms. » Potential targets for drugs were also i den t i f i ed . Neu t ra l i s i ng monoc l ona l antibodies were discovered that may have potential for the development of antibody- based drugs, as they were potent actors against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in infected hamsters. » Among potential treatments tested, a triple combination treatment was found to be safe and highly effective, in a randomised phase 2 trial, in suppressing the viral load and shortening the duration of virus shedding, decreasing the cytokine response and resulting in earlier clinical improvement and hospital discharge. The treatment included interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin, in which interferon beta-1b was the backbone of the treatment. » Broad-spectrum treatments, that would attack not only SARS-CoV-2 but other viruses, have also been explored. A vulnerable target for broad-spectrum antivirals has been identified, the YxxØ-motif. And a broad- spectrum peptide targeting virus and host was shown to be effective against pH- dependent respiratory viruses, which include influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2. » The influenza-based nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine developed by a HKUMed team involved establishing and utilising a DelNS1 live attenuated influenza virus platform to construct a COVID-19 vaccine targeting the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. A vaccine candidate was approved for clinical trial in September 2020, in collaboration with vaccine manufacturers in Mainland China, and further collaboration is underway on its clinical development. » Another vaccine candidate has also been established, a PD1-based DNA vaccine encoding the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. This vaccine has been successfully licenced for industry collaboration and received funding support from Shenzhen and Hong Kong for clinical trials. » Eight potent human monoclonal neutralising antibodies have been cloned for future passive immunisation therapy. Our research team established the world’s first bat intestinal organoids for successful infection by SARS-CoV-2 which implicates bats as the origin of this novel virus. The bat and human organoids will serve as a model system for understanding interspecies jumping. 20