Web of Science: 12 citations, Scopus: 14 citations, Google Scholar: citations,
Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 entry, inflammation and new therapeutics in human lung tissue cells
Grau Expósito, Judith (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
Perea, David (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Suppi, Marina (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Massana, Núria (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Vergara, Ander (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Soler, María José (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Trinité, Benjamin (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Institut de Recerca de la Sida IrsiCaixa)
Blanco, Julià (Universitat de Vic)
García-Pérez, Javier (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas)
Alcami, Jose (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer)
Serrano-Mollar, Anna (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias)
Rosado Rodríguez, Joel (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Falcó, Vicenç (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Genescà Ferrer, Meritxell (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Buzón, Maria José (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. Institut de Recerca)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date: 2022
Abstract: The development of physiological models that reproduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary human cells will be instrumental to identify host-pathogen interactions and potential therapeutics. Here, using cell suspensions directly from primary human lung tissues (HLT), we have developed a rapid platform for the identification of viral targets and the expression of viral entry factors, as well as for the screening of viral entry inhibitors and anti-inflammatory compounds. The direct use of HLT cells, without long-term cell culture and in vitro differentiation approaches, preserves main immune and structural cell populations, including the most susceptible cell targets for SARS-CoV-2; alveolar type II (AT-II) cells, while maintaining the expression of proteins involved in viral infection, such as ACE2, TMPRSS2, CD147 and AXL. Further, antiviral testing of 39 drug candidates reveals a highly reproducible method, suitable for different SARS-CoV-2 variants, and provides the identification of new compounds missed by conventional systems, such as VeroE6. Using this method, we also show that interferons do not modulate ACE2 expression, and that stimulation of local inflammatory responses can be modulated by different compounds with antiviral activity. Overall, we present a relevant and rapid method for the study of SARS-CoV-2. The early stages of laboratory identification of therapeutics against pathogens is usually based on the use of immortalized cell lines, as exemplified by many studies screening antivirals against SARS-CoV-2. Cell lines are manipulated for their continuous growth which offers several advantages, however they do not fully reproduce the behavior of primary cells nor the complexity of heterogeneous populations. In this study, we overcome this limitation by using surgical resections to establish human lung tissue (HLT) cell cultures ready for drug evaluation. First, we show that HLT preserves lung cell composition, including the main SARS-CoV-2 cellular target, namely alveolar type-2 cells, as well as the proteins required for viral entry into the cells: ACE2, CD147, TMPRSS2 and AXL. Moreover, using HLT cells we identified new antiviral drug candidates missed by conventional systems, and anti-inflammatory compounds that module molecules associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In summary, we have established a physiological model that can be used for the identification of novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics and other respiratory pathogens.
Grants: Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Salut DGRIS 1_5
Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI17/01470
Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI19CIII/00004
Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI21CIII/00025
Instituto de Salud Carlos III COV20-00679
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RTI2018-101082-B-I00
Instituto de Salud Carlos III CP17/00179
Rights: Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. Creative Commons
Language: Anglès
Document: Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in: PLOS pathogens, Vol. 18 (january 2022) , ISSN 1553-7374

DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010171
PMID: 35025963


27 p, 2.5 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles

 Record created 2022-02-07, last modified 2024-05-22



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