Cutting edge synthetic peptides block SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

Cutting edge synthetic peptides block SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

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By Sally Robertson, B.Sc.Aug 9 2020

Researchers at Ligandal Inc., the University of California San Francisco and Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, have designed novel synthetic peptides that potently inhibit the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to infect host cells.

The team’s SARS-BLOCK™ peptides competitively inhibit the receptor-binding domain (RBD) on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein – the surface structure that binds the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, to gain viral entry.

As well as blocking this viral entry pathway, the peptides are also designed to bind to the neutralizing antibodies generated against SARS-CoV-2 following infection, with the aim of inducing a specific neutralizing antibody response.