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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.12.31.522401

ACE2 Receptor Decoy is a Potent Prophylactic and Therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2

Tada, T.·Dcosta, B. M.·Zhou, H.·Landau, N. R.
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Abstract

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with highly mutated spike proteins has presented an obstacle to the use of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that a high affinity receptor decoy protein in which a modified ACE2 ectodomain is fused to a single domain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc region dramatically suppressed virus loads in mice upon challenge with a high dose of parental SARS-CoV-2 or Omicron variants. The decoy also potently suppressed virus replication when administered shortly post-infection. The decoy approach offers protection against the current viral variants and, potentially, against SARS-CoV-2 variants that may emerge with the continued evolution of the spike protein or novel viruses that use ACE2 for virus entry.

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Tada, T., Dcosta, B. M., Zhou, H., Landau, N. R.. 2023-01-02. ACE2 Receptor Decoy is a Potent Prophylactic and Therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.31.522401

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