Provided herein are multivalent particles and compositions of multivalent particles for blocking viral infection.

The present invention relates to materials and methods for engineering, expression and high-level production of cost effective, safe and functional active recombinant truncated human Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in plants using transient expression system. In particular, the present invention relates to the production of glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of ACE2 polypeptide in Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana) plant. The cost effective, safe and functional active plant produced recombinant ACE2 polypeptides can be used as a potential therapeutic target in COVID-19 patients to block or slow down the virus entering, spread of the virus and protect the lung from injury, also recombinant ACE2 enzymes are used as potential drugs to treat patients by controlling blood pressure.

Fusion proteins with immunoglobulin binding properties, their uses and related methods and compositions are disclosed. The fusion proteins are comprised of an antibody-binding fragment of protein M from Mycoplasma spp. conjugated to a receptor fragment. The receptor fragment is a protein fragment to which a pathogen, a toxin or a cancer cell can specifically bind. The fusion proteins can be used to neutralize or eradicate a wide group of pathogens, toxins or cancer cells.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been confirmed as a specific receptor for several (3 group coronaviruses include severe respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) and recently the causative agent for the World pandemic CoVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and low pathogenic coronavirus of HCoV-NL63, a member in α-coronavirus group. Viral spike protein (S) of viral envelope is confirmed to bind to ACE2 as viral receptor to start a virus replication cycle. The present invention provides ACE2 and its mutants or variants, the viral or non-viral vectors thereof. Methods of treatment of viral infection of a human subject by using such mutants or variants are also provided.

Provided herein are multivalent particles and compositions of multivalent particles for blocking viral infection.

Fusion proteins with immunoglobulin binding properties, their uses and related methods and compositions are disclosed. The fusion proteins are comprised of an antibody-binding fragment of protein M from Mycoplasma spp. conjugated to a receptor fragment. The receptor fragment is a protein fragment to which a pathogen or a toxin can specifically bind. The fusion proteins can be used to neutralize or eradicate a wide group of pathogens or toxins.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been confirmed as a specific receptor for several (3 group coronaviruses include severe respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) and recently the causative agent for the World pandemic CoVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and low pathogenic coronavirus of HCoV-NL63, a member in α-coronavirus group. Viral spike protein (S) of viral envelope is confirmed to bind to ACE2 as viral receptor to start a virus replication cycle. The present invention provides ACE2 and its mutants or variants, the viral or non-viral vectors thereof. Methods of treatment of viral infection of a human subject by using such mutants or variants are also provided.

The embodiment of the invention is to innovate immunogenic CoV-2, CoV-n B cell epitopes, which are selected from the loop regions constrained by the two constraining beta strands; or between one beta strand and one alpha-helical strand; or between two alpha-helical strands of CoV-2, CoV-n proteins, and such selected loops replace the native loops of the thermostable protein scaffolds, which provide thermostable constraint of the transplanted CoV-2, CoV-n loop antigens as well as CD4 helper T cell determinants to elicit CD4 dependent neutralizing and blocking antibodies against viral entry, replication and viral clearance. The B cell loops can be cleaved and processed as CD8 T cell epitopes for eliciting cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses against and clear viral infected cells. MHCI viral peptide epitopes in nonamers, octamers, or decamers will be used as peptide vaccines along with viral CD4 helper peptide epitopes. These CTL peptides will be also inserted into the loop or replacing the native loop of the protein scaffolds. All the above sequences can be embodied in RNA vaccines to augment protection or suppress cytokine storms. And the embodiment of the invention is to employ CTL peptides and CD4 helper peptides inserted into each respective candidate loop of the protein scaffolds as CTL vaccines. Thus, the CTL vaccines safely eliminate infectious foci and reservoir of the offending virus and mutant viral strains.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for treatment of damaged lung tissue, e.g., lungs of a patient with a viral infection (e.g., coronavirus) and/or a bacterial infection and/or a parasitic pathogen or a patient whose lung tissue was damaged by exposure to a chemical, and a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Also provided is a method for protecting the brain from neuro-invasion and preventing inflammatory damage to organs remote from the lungs, by blocking cytokine synthesis in the lungs. The treatment includes administering a leptin antagonist (LepA) locally to the upper airways and/or to the lungs of the patient. Typically, the LepA is administered in an inhalable composition, such as, an aerosol.

This document provides adenovirus vectors and methods and materials related to using adenovirus vectors. For example, adenoviruses for delivering nucleic acid encoding one or more immunogens (e.g., one or more immunogens associated with a pathogen causing an infection) to cells within a mammal such that the mammal produces an effective immune response against the immunogen(s) are provided.