A Mouse-Adapted SARS-CoV-2 Induces Acute Lung Injury and Mortality in Standard Laboratory Mice.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused extreme human suffering and economic harm. We generated and characterized a new mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 virus that captures multiple aspects of severe COVID-19 disease in standard laboratory mice. This SARS-CoV-2 model exhibits the spectrum of morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 disease as well as aspects of host genetics, age, cellular tropisms, elevated Th1 cytokines, and loss of surfactant expression and pulmonary function linked to pathological features of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This model can rapidly access existing mouse resources to elucidate the role of host genetics, underlying molecular mechanisms governing SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, and the protective or pathogenic immune responses related to disease severity. The model promises to provide a robust platform for studies of ALI and ARDS to evaluate vaccine and antiviral drug performance, including in the most vulnerable populations (i.e., the aged) using standard laboratory mice.

A mouse-adapted model of SARS-CoV-2 to test COVID-19 countermeasures.

Coronaviruses are prone to transmission to new host species, as recently demonstrated by the spread to humans of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic1. Small animal models that recapitulate SARS-CoV-2 disease are needed urgently for rapid evaluation of medical countermeasures2,3. SARS-CoV-2 cannot infect wild-type laboratory mice owing to inefficient interactions between the viral spike protein and the mouse orthologue of the human receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)4. Here we used reverse genetics5 to remodel the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and mouse ACE2 and designed mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2 MA), a recombinant virus that can use mouse ACE2 for entry into cells. SARS-CoV-2 MA was able to replicate in the upper and lower airways of both young adult and aged BALB/c mice. SARS-CoV-2 MA caused more severe disease in aged mice, and exhibited more clinically relevant phenotypes than those seen in Hfh4-ACE2 transgenic mice, which express human ACE2 under the control of the Hfh4 (also known as Foxj1) promoter. We demonstrate the utility of this model using vaccine-challenge studies in immune-competent mice with native expression of mouse ACE2. Finally, we show that the clinical candidate interferon-λ1a (IFN-λ1a) potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in primary human airway epithelial cells in vitro-both prophylactic and therapeutic administration of IFN-λ1a diminished SARS-CoV-2 replication in mice. In summary, the mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 MA model demonstrates age-related disease pathogenesis and supports the clinical use of pegylated IFN-λ1a as a treatment for human COVID-196.

Host genetic variation guides hepacivirus clearance, chronicity, and liver fibrosis in mice.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Human genetic variation is thought to guide the outcome of HCV infection, but model systems within which to dissect these host genetic mechanisms are limited. Norway rat hepacivirus, closely related to HCV, causes chronic liver infection in rats but causes acute self-limiting hepatitis in typical strains of laboratory mice, which resolves in 2 weeks. The Collaborative Cross (CC) is a robust mouse genetics resource comprised of a panel of recombinant inbred strains, which model the complexity of the human genome and provide a system within which to understand diseases driven by complex allelic variation. APPROACH RESULTS: We infected a panel of CC strains with Norway rat hepacivirus and identified several that failed to clear the virus after 4 weeks. Strains displayed an array of virologic phenotypes ranging from delayed clearance (CC046) to chronicity (CC071, CC080) with viremia for at least 10 months. Body weight loss, hepatocyte infection frequency, viral evolution, T-cell recruitment to the liver, liver inflammation, and the capacity to develop liver fibrosis varied among infected CC strains. CONCLUSIONS: These models recapitulate many aspects of HCV infection in humans and demonstrate that host genetic variation affects a multitude of viruses and host phenotypes. These models can be used to better understand the molecular mechanisms that drive hepacivirus clearance and chronicity, the virus and host interactions that promote chronic disease manifestations like liver fibrosis, therapeutic and vaccine performance, and how these factors are affected by host genetic variation.

Infectious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Virus in Symptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outpatients: Host, Disease, and Viral Correlates.

BACKGROUND: Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectious virus isolation in outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with viral RNA levels and symptom duration, little is known about the host, disease, and viral determinants of infectious virus detection. METHODS: COVID-19 adult outpatients were enrolled within 7 days of symptom onset. Clinical symptoms were recorded via patient diary. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected to quantitate SARS-CoV-2 RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and for infectious virus isolation in Vero E6-cells. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured in serum using a validated ELISA assay. RESULTS: Among 204 participants with mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19, the median nasopharyngeal viral RNA was 6.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 4.7-7.6 log10 copies/mL), and 26% had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgM, IgG, and/or total Ig) at baseline. Infectious virus was recovered in 7% of participants with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies compared to 58% of participants without antibodies (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .04, .36; P = .00016). Infectious virus isolation was also associated with higher levels of viral RNA (mean RNA difference +2.6 log10, 95% CI: 2.2, 3.0; P < .0001) and fewer days since symptom onset (PR = 0.79, 95% CI: .71, .88 per day; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is strongly associated with clearance of infectious virus. Seropositivity and viral RNA levels are likely more reliable markers of infectious virus clearance than subjective measure of COVID-19 symptom duration. Virus-targeted treatment and prevention strategies should be administered as early as possible and ideally before seroconversion. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04405570.

The oral nucleoside prodrug GS-5245 is efficacious against SARS-CoV-2 and other endemic, epidemic, and enzootic coronaviruses.

Despite the wide availability of several safe and effective vaccines that prevent severe COVID-19, the persistent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) that can evade vaccine-elicited immunity remains a global health concern. In addition, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs that can evade therapeutic monoclonal antibodies underscores the need for additional, variant-resistant treatment strategies. Here, we characterize the antiviral activity of GS-5245, obeldesivir (ODV), an oral prodrug of the parent nucleoside GS-441524, which targets the highly conserved viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We show that GS-5245 is broadly potent in vitro against alphacoronavirus HCoV-NL63, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-related bat-CoV RsSHC014, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 WA/1, and the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 Omicron variant. Moreover, in mouse models of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 (WA/1 and Omicron B1.1.529), MERS-CoV, and bat-CoV RsSHC014 pathogenesis, we observed a dose-dependent reduction in viral replication, body weight loss, acute lung injury, and pulmonary function with GS-5245 therapy. Last, we demonstrate that a combination of GS-5245 and main protease (Mpro) inhibitor nirmatrelvir improved outcomes in vivo against SARS-CoV-2 compared with the single agents. Together, our data support the clinical evaluation of GS-5245 against coronaviruses that cause or have the potential to cause human disease.

Efficacy of the oral nucleoside prodrug GS-5245 (Obeldesivir) against SARS-CoV-2 and coronaviruses with pandemic potential.

Despite the wide availability of several safe and effective vaccines that can prevent severe COVID-19 disease, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) that can partially evade vaccine immunity remains a global health concern. In addition, the emergence of highly mutated and neutralization-resistant SARS-CoV-2 VOCs such as BA.1 and BA.5 that can partially or fully evade (1) many therapeutic monoclonal antibodies in clinical use underlines the need for additional effective treatment strategies. Here, we characterize the antiviral activity of GS-5245, Obeldesivir (ODV), an oral prodrug of the parent nucleoside GS-441524, which targets the highly conserved RNA-dependent viral RNA polymerase (RdRp). Importantly, we show that GS-5245 is broadly potent in vitro against alphacoronavirus HCoV-NL63, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), SARS-CoV-related Bat-CoV RsSHC014, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 WA/1, and the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 Omicron variant in vitro and highly effective as antiviral therapy in mouse models of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 (WA/1), MERS-CoV and Bat-CoV RsSHC014 pathogenesis. In all these models of divergent coronaviruses, we observed protection and/or significant reduction of disease metrics such as weight loss, lung viral replication, acute lung injury, and degradation in pulmonary function in GS-5245-treated mice compared to vehicle controls. Finally, we demonstrate that GS-5245 in combination with the main protease (Mpro) inhibitor nirmatrelvir had increased efficacy in vivo against SARS-CoV-2 compared to each single agent. Altogether, our data supports the continuing clinical evaluation of GS-5245 in humans infected with COVID-19, including as part of a combination antiviral therapy, especially in populations with the most urgent need for more efficacious and durable interventions.

Therapeutic treatment with an oral prodrug of the remdesivir parental nucleoside is protective against SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in mice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains uncontrolled despite the rapid rollout of safe and effective severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines, underscoring the need to develop highly effective antivirals. In the setting of waning immunity from infection and vaccination, breakthrough infections are becoming increasingly common and treatment options remain limited. In addition, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, with their potential to escape neutralization by therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, emphasizes the need to develop second-generation oral antivirals targeting highly conserved viral proteins that can be rapidly deployed to outpatients. Here, we demonstrate the in vitro antiviral activity and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of GS-621763, an orally bioavailable prodrug of GS-441524, the parent nucleoside of remdesivir, which targets the highly conserved virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. GS-621763 exhibited antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in lung cell lines and two different human primary lung cell culture systems. GS-621763 was also potently antiviral against a genetically unrelated emerging coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV). The dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile observed after oral administration of GS-621763 translated to dose-dependent antiviral activity in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Therapeutic GS-621763 administration reduced viral load and lung pathology; treatment also improved pulmonary function in COVID-19 mouse model. A direct comparison of GS-621763 with molnupiravir, an oral nucleoside analog antiviral that has recently received EUA approval, proved both drugs to be similarly efficacious in mice. These data support the exploration of GS-441524 oral prodrugs for the treatment of COVID-19.

Therapeutic efficacy of an oral nucleoside analog of remdesivir against SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in mice.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains uncontrolled despite the rapid rollout of safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, underscoring the need to develop highly effective antivirals. In the setting of waning immunity from infection and vaccination, breakthrough infections are becoming increasingly common and treatment options remain limited. Additionally, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with their potential to escape therapeutic monoclonal antibodies emphasizes the need to develop second-generation oral antivirals targeting highly conserved viral proteins that can be rapidly deployed to outpatients. Here, we demonstrate the in vitro antiviral activity and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of GS-621763, an orally bioavailable prodrug of GS-441524, the parental nucleoside of remdesivir, which targets the highly conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. GS-621763 exhibited significant antiviral activity in lung cell lines and two different human primary lung cell culture systems. The dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile observed after oral administration of GS-621763 translated to dose-dependent antiviral activity in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Therapeutic GS-621763 significantly reduced viral load, lung pathology, and improved pulmonary function in COVID-19 mouse model. A direct comparison of GS-621763 with molnupiravir, an oral nucleoside analog antiviral currently in human clinical trial, proved both drugs to be similarly efficacious. These data demonstrate that therapy with oral prodrugs of remdesivir can significantly improve outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infected mice. Thus, GS-621763 supports the exploration of GS-441524 oral prodrugs for the treatment of COVID-19 in humans.

Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Symptomatic COVID-19 Outpatients: Host, Disease, and Viral Correlates.

BACKGROUND: While SARS-CoV-2 infectious virus isolation in outpatients with COVID-19 has been associated with viral RNA levels and symptom duration, little is known about the host, disease and viral determinants of infectious virus detection. METHODS: COVID-19 adult outpatients were enrolled within 7 days of symptom onset. Clinical symptoms were recorded via patient diary. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected to quantitate SARS-CoV-2 RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and for infectious virus isolation in Vero E6-cells. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured in serum using a validated ELISA assay. RESULTS: Among 204 participants with mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID19, the median nasopharyngeal viral RNA was 6.5 (IQR 4.7-7.6 log10 copies/mL), and 26% had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgA, IgM, IgG, and/or total Ig) at baseline. Infectious virus was recovered in 7% of participants with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies compared to 58% of participants without antibodies (probability ratio (PR)=0.12, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.36; p=0.00016). Infectious virus isolation was also associated with higher levels of viral RNA (mean RNA difference +2.6 log10, 95% CI: 2.2, 3.0; p<0.0001) and fewer days since symptom onset (PR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.88 per day; p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is strongly associated with clearance of infectious virus isolation. Seropositivity and viral RNA levels are likely more reliable markers of infectious virus clearance than subjective measure of COVID-19 symptom duration. Virus-targeted treatment and prevention strategies should be administered as early as possible and ideally before seroconversion. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04405570.

A mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 model for the evaluation of COVID-19 medical countermeasures.

Coronaviruses are prone to emergence into new host species most recently evidenced by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small animal models that recapitulate SARS-CoV-2 disease are desperately needed to rapidly evaluate medical countermeasures (MCMs). SARS-CoV-2 cannot infect wildtype laboratory mice due to inefficient interactions between the viral spike (S) protein and the murine ortholog of the human receptor, ACE2. We used reverse genetics to remodel the S and mACE2 binding interface resulting in a recombinant virus (SARS-CoV-2 MA) that could utilize mACE2 for entry. SARS-CoV-2 MA replicated in both the upper and lower airways of both young adult and aged BALB/c mice. Importantly, disease was more severe in aged mice, and showed more clinically relevant phenotypes than those seen in hACE2 transgenic mice. We then demonstrated the utility of this model through vaccine challenge studies in immune competent mice with native expression of mACE2. Lastly, we show that clinical candidate interferon (IFN) lambda-1a can potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in primary human airway epithelial cells in vitro , and both prophylactic and therapeutic administration diminished replication in mice. Our mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 model demonstrates age-related disease pathogenesis and supports the clinical use of IFN lambda-1a treatment in human COVID-19 infections.

Comparative therapeutic efficacy of remdesivir and combination lopinavir, ritonavir, and interferon beta against MERS-CoV.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is the causative agent of a severe respiratory disease associated with more than 2468 human infections and over 851 deaths in 27 countries since 2012. There are no approved treatments for MERS-CoV infection although a combination of lopinavir, ritonavir and interferon beta (LPV/RTV-IFNb) is currently being evaluated in humans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here, we show that remdesivir (RDV) and IFNb have superior antiviral activity to LPV and RTV in vitro. In mice, both prophylactic and therapeutic RDV improve pulmonary function and reduce lung viral loads and severe lung pathology. In contrast, prophylactic LPV/RTV-IFNb slightly reduces viral loads without impacting other disease parameters. Therapeutic LPV/RTV-IFNb improves pulmonary function but does not reduce virus replication or severe lung pathology. Thus, we provide in vivo evidence of the potential for RDV to treat MERS-CoV infections.

An orally bioavailable broad-spectrum antiviral inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial cell cultures and multiple coronaviruses in mice.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) traffic frequently between species resulting in novel disease outbreaks, most recently exemplified by the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Here, we show that the ribonucleoside analog ß-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC; EIDD-1931) has broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and related zoonotic group 2b or 2c bat-CoVs, as well as increased potency against a CoV bearing resistance mutations to the nucleoside analog inhibitor remdesivir. In mice infected with SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV, both prophylactic and therapeutic administration of EIDD-2801, an orally bioavailable NHC prodrug (ß-d-N4-hydroxycytidine-5'-isopropyl ester), improved pulmonary function and reduced virus titer and body weight loss. Decreased MERS-CoV yields in vitro and in vivo were associated with increased transition mutation frequency in viral, but not host cell RNA, supporting a mechanism of lethal mutagenesis in CoV. The potency of NHC/EIDD-2801 against multiple CoVs and oral bioavailability highlights its potential utility as an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 and other future zoonotic CoVs.

Remdesivir potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in human lung cells and chimeric SARS-CoV expressing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase in mice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in 2019 as the causative agent of the novel pandemic viral disease COVID-19. With no approved therapies, this pandemic illustrates the urgent need for safe, broad-spectrum antiviral countermeasures against SARS-CoV-2 and future emerging CoVs. We report that remdesivir (RDV), a monophosphoramidate prodrug of an adenosine analog, potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung cells and primary human airway epithelial cultures (EC 50 = 0.01 µM). Weaker activity was observed in Vero E6 cells (EC 50 = 1.65 µM) due to their low capacity to metabolize RDV. To rapidly evaluate in vivo efficacy, we engineered a chimeric SARS-CoV encoding the viral target of RDV, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, of SARS-CoV-2. In mice infected with chimeric virus, therapeutic RDV administration diminished lung viral load and improved pulmonary function as compared to vehicle treated animals. These data provide evidence that RDV is potently active against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo , supporting its further clinical testing for treatment of COVID-19.

Remdesivir Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in Human Lung Cells and Chimeric SARS-CoV Expressing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Polymerase in Mice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the novel viral disease COVID-19. With no approved therapies, this pandemic illustrates the urgent need for broad-spectrum antiviral countermeasures against SARS-CoV-2 and future emerging CoVs. We report that remdesivir (RDV) potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung cells and primary human airway epithelial cultures (EC50 = 0.01 µM). Weaker activity is observed in Vero E6 cells (EC50 = 1.65 µM) because of their low capacity to metabolize RDV. To rapidly evaluate in vivo efficacy, we engineered a chimeric SARS-CoV encoding the viral target of RDV, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2. In mice infected with the chimeric virus, therapeutic RDV administration diminishes lung viral load and improves pulmonary function compared with vehicle-treated animals. These data demonstrate that RDV is potently active against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo, supporting its further clinical testing for treatment of COVID-19.

Broad spectrum antiviral remdesivir inhibits human endemic and zoonotic deltacoronaviruses with a highly divergent RNA dependent RNA polymerase.

The genetically diverse Orthocoronavirinae (CoV) family is prone to cross species transmission and disease emergence in both humans and livestock. Viruses similar to known epidemic strains circulating in wild and domestic animals further increase the probability of emergence in the future. Currently, there are no approved therapeutics for any human CoV presenting a clear unmet medical need. Remdesivir (RDV, GS-5734) is a monophosphoramidate prodrug of an adenosine analog with potent activity against an array of RNA virus families including Filoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Pneumoviridae, and Orthocoronavirinae, through the targeting of the viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We developed multiple assays to further define the breadth of RDV antiviral activity against the CoV family. Here, we show potent antiviral activity of RDV against endemic human CoVs OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and 229E (HCoV-229E) with submicromolar EC50 values. Of known CoVs, the members of the deltacoronavirus genus have the most divergent RdRp as compared to SARS- and MERS-CoV and both avian and porcine members harbor a native residue in the RdRp that confers resistance in beta-CoVs. Nevertheless, RDV is highly efficacious against porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV). These data further extend the known breadth and antiviral activity of RDV to include both contemporary human and highly divergent zoonotic CoV and potentially enhance our ability to fight future emerging CoV.