Development and Initial Characterization of Pigs with DNAI1 Mutations and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia.

Mutations in more than 50 different genes cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) by disrupting the activity of motile cilia that facilitate mucociliary transport (MCT). Knowledge of PCD has come from studies identifying disease-causing mutations, characterizing structural cilia abnormalities, finding genotype-phenotype relationships, and studying the cell biology of cilia. Despite these important findings, we still lack effective treatments and people with PCD have significant pulmonary impairment. As with many other diseases, a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms may lead to effective treatments. To pursue disease mechanisms, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to develop a PCD pig with a disrupted DNAI1 gene. PCD pig airway cilia lacked the outer dynein arm and had impaired beating. MCT was impaired under both baseline conditions and after cholinergic stimulation in PCD pigs. Neonatal PCD pigs developed neonatal respiratory distress with evidence of atelectasis, air trapping, and airway mucus obstruction. Despite airway mucus accumulation, lung bacterial counts were similar between neonatal wild-type and PCD pigs. Sinonasal disease was present in all neonatal PCD pigs. Older PCD pigs developed worsening airway mucus obstruction, inflammation, and bacterial infection. This pig model closely mimics the disease phenotype seen in people with PCD and can be used to better understand the pathophysiology of PCD airway disease.

Il-13 induces loss of CFTR in ionocytes and reduces airway epithelial fluid absorption.

The airway surface liquid (ASL) plays a crucial role in lung defense mechanisms, and its composition and volume are regulated by the airway epithelium. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is abundantly expressed in a rare airway epithelial cell type called an ionocyte. Recently, we demonstrated that ionocytes can increase liquid absorption through apical CFTR and basolateral barttin/chloride channels, while airway secretory cells mediate liquid secretion through apical CFTR channels and basolateral NKCC1 transporters. Th2-driven (IL-4/IL-13) airway diseases, such as asthma, cause goblet cell metaplasia, accompanied by increased mucus production and airway secretions. In this study, we investigate the effect of IL-13 on chloride and liquid transport performed by ionocytes. IL-13 treatment of human airway epithelia was associated with reduced epithelial liquid absorption rates and increased ASL volume. Additionally, IL-13 treatment reduced the abundance of CFTR-positive ionocytes and increased the abundance of CFTR-positive secretory cells. Increasing ionocyte abundance attenuated liquid secretion caused by IL-13. Finally, CFTR-positive ionocytes were less common in asthma and COPD and associated with airflow obstruction. Our findings suggest that loss of CFTR in ionocytes contributes to the liquid secretion observed in IL-13-mediated airway diseases.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection provides protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus challenge.

Respiratory infections are a major health burden worldwide. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is among the leading causes of hospitalization in both young children and older adults. The onset of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and the public health response had a profound impact on the normal seasonal outbreaks of other respiratory viruses. However, little is known about how a prior respiratory virus infection impacts SARS-CoV-2 disease outcomes. In this study, we examine the impact of a previous RSV infection on the disease severity of a subsequent SARS-CoV-2 challenge in BALB/c mice. Mice infected with RSV, followed by a SARS-CoV-2 challenge, 30 days later, exhibited decreased weight loss and increased survival as compared to control groups. Our results suggest a prior RSV infection can provide protection against a subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection. IMPORTANCE: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and respiratory syncytial virus are respiratory viruses that are a major health burden worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and respiratory syncytial virus frequently have peak seasonal outbreaks during the winter months, and are capable of causing severe respiratory disease, often leading to hospitalization. The 2019 pandemic brought attention to the importance of understanding how co-circulating viruses can impact the disease severity of other respiratory viruses. It is known that many hospitalized patients are undergoing multiple viral infections at once, yet not much has been studied to understand the impact this has on other respiratory viruses or patients. How co-circulating viruses impact one another can provide critical knowledge for future interventions of hospitalized patients and potential vaccination strategies.

IL-13 decreases susceptibility to airway epithelial SARS-CoV-2 infection but increases disease severity in vivo.

Treatments available to prevent progression of virus-induced lung diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are of limited benefit once respiratory failure occurs. The efficacy of approved and emerging cytokine signaling-modulating antibodies is variable and is affected by disease course and patient-specific inflammation patterns. Therefore, understanding the role of inflammation on the viral infectious cycle is critical for effective use of cytokine-modulating agents. We investigated the role of the type 2 cytokine IL-13 on SARS-CoV-2 binding/entry, replication, and host response in primary HAE cells in vitro and in a model of mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. IL-13 protected airway epithelial cells from SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro by decreasing the abundance of ACE2-expressing ciliated cells rather than by neutralization in the airway surface liquid or by interferon-mediated antiviral effects. In contrast, IL-13 worsened disease severity in mice; the effects were mediated by eicosanoid signaling and were abolished in mice deficient in the phospholipase A2 enzyme PLA2G2D. We conclude that IL-13-induced inflammation differentially affects multiple steps of COVID-19 pathogenesis. IL-13-induced inflammation may be protective against initial SARS-CoV-2 airway epithelial infection; however, it enhances disease progression in vivo. Blockade of IL-13 and/or eicosanoid signaling may be protective against progression to severe respiratory virus-induced lung disease.

Universal subunit vaccine protects against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV.

Although Omicron RBD of SARS-CoV-2 accumulates many mutations, the backbone region (truncated RBD) of spike protein is highly conserved. Here, we designed several subunit vaccines by keeping the conserved spike backbone region of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 subvariant (S-6P-no-RBD), or inserting the RBD of Delta variant (S-6P-Delta-RBD), Omicron (BA.5) variant (S-6P-BA5-RBD), or ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (S-6P-WT-RBD) to the above backbone construct, and evaluated their ability to induce immune responses and cross-protective efficacy against various SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV. Among the four subunit vaccines, S-6P-Delta-RBD protein elicited broad and potent neutralizing antibodies against all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants, the BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.4.6, and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, and the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2. This vaccine prevented infection and replication of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, and completely protected immunized mice against lethal challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and SARS-CoV. Sera from S-6P-Delta-RBD-immunized mice protected naive mice against challenge with the Delta variant, with significantly reduced viral titers and without pathological effects. Protection correlated positively with the serum neutralizing antibody titer. Overall, the designed vaccine has potential for development as a universal COVID-19 vaccine and/or a pan-sarbecovirus subunit vaccine that will prevent current and future outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-related CoVs.

Upregulation of fatty acid synthesis genes in the livers of adolescent female rats caused by inhalation exposure to PCB52 (2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl).

Elevated airborne PCB levels in older schools are concerning due to their health impacts, including cancer, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), cardiovascular issues, neurodevelopmental diseases, and diabetes. During a four-week inhalation exposure to PCB52, an air pollutant commonly found in school environments, adolescent rats exhibited notable presence of PCB52 and its hydroxylated forms in their livers, alongside changes in gene expression. Female rats exhibited more pronounced changes in gene expression compared to males, particularly in fatty acid synthesis genes regulated by the transcription factor SREBP1. In vitro studies with human liver cells showed that the hydroxylated metabolite of PCB52, 4-OH-PCB52, but not the parent compound, upregulated genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis similar to in vivo exposure. These findings highlight the sex-specific effects of PCB52 exposure on livers, particularly in females, suggesting a potential pathway for increased MASLD susceptibility.

A predominately pulmonary activation of complement in a mouse model of severe COVID-19.

Evidence from in vitro studies and observational human disease data suggest the complement system plays a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, although how complement dysregulation develops in patients with severe COVID-19 is unknown. Here, using a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 virus (SARS2-N501YMA30) and a mouse model of severe COVID-19, we identify significant serologic and pulmonary complement activation following infection. We observed C3 activation in airway and alveolar epithelia, and in pulmonary vascular endothelia. Our evidence suggests that while the alternative pathway is the primary route of complement activation, components of both the alternative and classical pathways are produced locally by respiratory epithelial cells following infection, and increased in primary cultures of human airway epithelia in response to cytokine exposure. This locally generated complement response appears to precede and subsequently drive lung injury and inflammation. Results from this mouse model recapitulate findings in humans, which suggest sex-specific variance in complement activation, with predilection for increased C3 activity in males, a finding that may correlate with more severe disease. Our findings indicate that complement activation is a defining feature of severe COVID-19 in mice and lay the foundation for further investigation into the role of complement in COVID-19.

NF1+/ex42del miniswine model the cellular disruptions and behavioral presentations of NF1-associated cognitive and motor impairment.

Cognitive or motor impairment is common among individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), an autosomal dominant tumor-predisposition disorder. As many as 70% of children with NF1 report difficulties with spatial/working memory, attention, executive function, and fine motor movements. In contrast to the utilization of various Nf1 mouse models, here we employ an NF1+/ex42del miniswine model to evaluate the mechanisms and characteristics of these presentations, taking advantage of a large animal species more like human anatomy and physiology. The prefrontal lobe, anterior cingulate, and hippocampus from NF1+/ex42del and wild-type miniswine were examined longitudinally, revealing abnormalities in mature oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, and microglial activation over time. Imbalances in GABA: Glutamate ratios and GAD67 expression were observed in the hippocampus and motor cortex, supporting the role of disruption in inhibitory neurotransmission in NF1 cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction. Moreover, NF1+/ex42del miniswine demonstrated slower and shorter steps, indicative of a balance-preserving response commonly observed in NF1 patients, and progressive memory and learning impairments. Collectively, our findings affirm the effectiveness of NF1+/ex42del miniswine as a valuable resource for assessing cognitive and motor impairments associated with NF1, investigating the involvement of specific neural circuits and glia in these processes, and evaluating potential therapeutic interventions.

Mutations in nonstructural proteins essential for pathogenicity in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in substantial morbidity and mortality. The basis of severe disease in humans is difficult to determine without the use of experimental animal models. Mice are resistant to infection with ancestral strains of SARS-CoV-2, although many variants that arose later in the pandemic were able to directly infect mice. In almost all cases, viruses that naturally infected mice or were engineered to enable mouse infection required mouse passage to become virulent. In most cases, changes in structural and nonstructural changes occurred during mouse adaptation. However, the mechanism of increased virulence in mice is not understood. Here, using a recently described strain of mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (rSARS2-MA30N501Y), we engineered a series of recombinant viruses that expressed a subset of the mutations present in rSARS2-MA30N501Y. Mutations were detected in the spike protein and in three nonstructural proteins (nsp4, nsp8, and nsp9). We found that infection of mice with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 expressing only the S protein mutations caused very mild infection. Addition of the mutations in nsp4 and nsp8 was required for complete virulence. Of note, all these recombinant viruses replicated equivalently in cultured cells. The innate immune response was delayed after infection with virulent compared to attenuated viruses. Further, using a lineage tracking system, we found that attenuated virus was highly inhibited in the ability to infect the parenchyma, but not the airway after infection. Together, these results indicate that mutations in both the S protein and nonstructural proteins are required for maximal virulence during mouse adaptation.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requires the study of experimental animals after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this purpose, several mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 strains have been developed. Here, using a strain of mouse-adapted virus that causes a range of diseases ranging from mild to severe, we show that mutations in both a structural protein [spike (S) protein] and nonstructural proteins are required for maximal virulence. Thus, changes in the S protein, the most widely studied viral protein, while required for mouse adaptation, are not sufficient to result in a virulent virus.

Arteriovenous metabolomics in pigs reveals CFTR regulation of metabolism in multiple organs.

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause cystic fibrosis (CF), a multiorgan disease that is characterized by diverse metabolic defects. However, other than specific CFTR mutations, the factors that influence disease progression and severity remain poorly understood. Aberrant metabolite levels have been reported, but whether CFTR loss itself or secondary abnormalities (infection, inflammation, malnutrition, and various treatments) drive metabolic defects is uncertain. Here, we implemented comprehensive arteriovenous metabolomics in newborn CF pigs, and the results revealed CFTR as a bona fide regulator of metabolism. CFTR loss impaired metabolite exchange across organs, including disruption of lung uptake of fatty acids, yet enhancement of uptake of arachidonic acid, a precursor of proinflammatory cytokines. CFTR loss also impaired kidney reabsorption of amino acids and lactate and abolished renal glucose homeostasis. These and additional unexpected metabolic defects prior to disease manifestations reveal a fundamental role for CFTR in controlling multiorgan metabolism. Such discovery informs a basic understanding of CF, provides a foundation for future investigation, and has implications for developing therapies targeting only a single tissue.

In utero and postnatal ivacaftor/lumacaftor therapy rescues multiorgan disease in CFTR-F508del ferrets.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, with F508del being the most prevalent mutation. The combination of CFTR modulators (potentiator and correctors) has provided benefit to CF patients carrying the F508del mutation; however, the safety and effectiveness of in utero combination modulator therapy remains unclear. We created a F508del ferret model to test whether ivacaftor/lumacaftor (VX-770/VX-809) therapy can rescue in utero and postnatal pathologies associated with CF. Using primary intestinal organoids and air-liquid interface cultures of airway epithelia, we demonstrate that the F508del mutation in ferret CFTR results in a severe folding and trafficking defect, which can be partially restored by treatment with CFTR modulators. In utero treatment of pregnant jills with ivacaftor/lumacaftor prevented meconium ileus at birth in F508del kits and sustained postnatal treatment of CF offspring improved survival and partially protected from pancreatic insufficiency. Withdrawal of ivacaftor/lumacaftor treatment from juvenile CF ferrets reestablished pancreatic and lung diseases, with altered pulmonary mechanics. These findings suggest that in utero intervention with a combination of CFTR modulators may provide therapeutic benefits to individuals with F508del. This CFTR-F508del ferret model may be useful for testing therapies using clinically translatable endpoints.

Evidence of antigenic drift in the fusion machinery core of SARS-CoV-2 spike.

Antigenic drift of SARS-CoV-2 is typically defined by mutations in the N-terminal domain and receptor binding domain of spike protein. In contrast, whether antigenic drift occurs in the S2 domain remains largely elusive. Here, we perform a deep mutational scanning experiment to identify S2 mutations that affect binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike to three S2 apex public antibodies. Our results indicate that spatially diverse mutations, including D950N and Q954H, which are observed in Delta and Omicron variants, respectively, weaken the binding of spike to these antibodies. Although S2 apex antibodies are known to be nonneutralizing, we show that they confer protection in vivo through Fc-mediated effector functions. Overall, this study indicates that the S2 domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike can undergo antigenic drift, which represents a potential challenge for the development of more universal coronavirus vaccines.

Pancreatic enzymes digest obstructive meconium from cystic fibrosis pig intestines.

Introduction: Meconium ileus (MI) is a life-threatening obstruction of the intestines affecting ∼15% of newborns with cystic fibrosis (CF). Current medical treatments for MI often fail, requiring surgical intervention. MI typically occurs in newborns with pancreatic insufficiency from CF. Meconium contains mucin glycoprotein, a potential substrate for pancreatic enzymes or mucolytics. Our study aim was to determine whether pancreatic enzymes in combination with mucolytic treatments dissolve obstructive meconium using the CF pig model. Methods: We collected meconium from CF pigs at birth and submerged it in solutions with and without pancreatic enzymes, including normal saline, 7% hypertonic saline, and the reducing agents N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and dithiothreitol (DTT). We digested meconium at 37 °C with agitation, and measured meconium pigment release by spectrophotometry and residual meconium solids by filtration. Results and discussion: In CF pigs, meconium appeared as a solid pigmented mass obstructing the ileum. Meconium microscopically contained mucus glycoprotein, cellular debris, and bile pigments. Meconium fragments released pigments with maximal absorption at 405 nm after submersion in saline over approximately 8 h. Pancreatic enzymes significantly increased pigment release and decreased residual meconium solids. DTT did not improve meconium digestion and the acidic reducing agent NAC worsened digestion. Pancreatic enzymes digested CF meconium best at neutral pH in isotonic saline. We conclude that pancreatic enzymes digest obstructive meconium from CF pigs, while hydrating or reducing agents alone were less effective. This work suggests a potential role for pancreatic enzymes in relieving obstruction due to MI in newborns with CF.

Establishment and characterization of turtle liver organoids provides a potential model to decode their unique adaptations.

Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the only other non-avian reptile organoids from snake venom glands. Preliminary characterization, including morphological, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses, revealed organoids enriched in cholangiocytes. Deriving organoids from distant turtles and life stages demonstrates that our techniques are broadly applicable to chelonians, permitting the development of functional genomic tools currently lacking in herpetological research. Such platform could potentially support studies including genome-to-phenome mapping, gene function, genome architecture, and adaptive responses to climate change, with implications for ecological, evolutionary, and biomedical research.

Adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2H353K mice reveals new spike residues that drive mouse infection.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause extraordinary loss of life and economic damage. Animal models of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are needed to better understand disease pathogenesis and evaluate preventive measures and therapies. While mice are widely used to model human disease, mouse angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) does not bind the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to mediate viral entry. To overcome this limitation, we "humanized" mouse Ace2 using CRISPR gene editing to introduce a single amino acid substitution, H353K, predicted to facilitate S protein binding. While H353K knockin Ace2 (mACE2H353K) mice supported SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, they exhibited minimal disease manifestations. Following 30 serial passages of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 in mACE2H353K mice, we generated and cloned a more virulent virus. A single isolate (SARS2MA-H353K) was prepared for detailed studies. In 7-11-month-old mACE2H353K mice, a 104 PFU inocula resulted in diffuse alveolar disease manifested as edema, hyaline membrane formation, and interstitial cellular infiltration/thickening. Unexpectedly, the mouse-adapted virus also infected standard BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and caused severe disease. The mouse-adapted virus acquired five new missense mutations including two in spike (K417E, Q493K), one each in nsp4, nsp9, and M and a single nucleotide change in the 5' untranslated region. The Q493K spike mutation arose early in serial passage and is predicted to provide affinity-enhancing molecular interactions with mACE2 and further increase the stability and affinity to the receptor. This new model and mouse-adapted virus will be useful to evaluate COVID-19 disease and prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.IMPORTANCEWe developed a new mouse model with a humanized angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) locus that preserves native regulatory elements. A single point mutation in mouse ACE2 (H353K) was sufficient to confer in vivo infection with ancestral severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 virus. Through in vivo serial passage, a virulent mouse-adapted strain was obtained. In aged mACE2H353K mice, the mouse-adapted strain caused diffuse alveolar disease. The mouse-adapted virus also infected standard BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, causing severe disease. The mouse-adapted virus acquired five new missense mutations including two in spike (K417E, Q493K), one each in nsp4, nsp9, and M and a single nucleotide change in the 5' untranslated region. The Q493K spike mutation arose early in serial passage and is predicted to provide affinity-enhancing molecular interactions with mACE2 and further increase the stability and affinity to the receptor. This new model and mouse-adapted virus will be useful to evaluate COVID-19 disease and prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.

Swine models in translational research and medicine.

Swine are increasingly studied as animal models of human disease. The anatomy, size, longevity, physiology, immune system, and metabolism of swine are more like humans than traditional rodent models. In addition, the size of swine is preferred for surgical placement and testing of medical devices destined for humans. These features make swine useful for biomedical, pharmacological, and toxicological research. With recent advances in gene-editing technologies, genetic modifications can readily and efficiently be made in swine to study genetic disorders. In addition, gene-edited swine tissues are necessary for studies testing and validating xenotransplantation into humans to meet the critical shortfall of viable organs versus need. Underlying all of these biomedical applications, the knowledge of husbandry, background diseases and lesions, and biosecurity needs are important for productive, efficient, and reproducible research when using swine as a human disease model for basic research, preclinical testing, and translational studies.

Defining Parameters That Modulate Susceptibility and Protection to Respiratory Murine Coronavirus MHV1 Infection.

Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience variable disease susceptibility, and patients with comorbidities such as sepsis are often hospitalized for COVID-19 complications. However, the extent to which initial infectious inoculum dose determines disease outcomes and whether this can be used for immunological priming in a genetically susceptible host has not been completely defined. We used an established SARS-like murine model in which responses to primary and/or secondary challenges with murine hepatitis virus type 1 (MHV-1) were analyzed. We compared the response to infection in genetically susceptible C3H/HeJ mice, genetically resistant C57BL/6J mice, and genetically diverse, variably susceptible outbred Swiss Webster mice. Although defined as genetically susceptible to MHV-1, C3H/HeJ mice displayed decreasing dose-dependent pathological changes in disease severity and lung infiltrate/edema, as well as lymphopenia. Importantly, an asymptomatic dose (500 PFU) was identified that yielded no measurable morbidity/mortality postinfection in C3H/HeJ mice. Polymicrobial sepsis induced via cecal ligation and puncture converted asymptomatic infections in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice to more pronounced disease, modeling the impact of sepsis as a comorbidity to ß-coronavirus infection. We then used low-dose infection as an immunological priming event in C3H/HeJ mice, which provided neutralizing Ab-dependent, but not circulating CD4/CD8 T cell-dependent, protection against a high-dose MHV-1 early rechallenge. Together, these data define how infection dose, immunological status, and comorbidities modulate outcomes of primary and secondary ß-coronavirus infections in hosts with variable susceptibility.

Potent 3CLpro inhibitors effective against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in animal models by therapeutic treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are zoonotic betacoronaviruses that continue to have a significant impact on public health. Timely development and introduction of vaccines and antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 into the clinic have substantially mitigated the burden of COVID-19. However, a limited or lacking therapeutic arsenal for SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV infections, respectively, calls for an expanded and diversified portfolio of antivirals against these coronavirus infections. In this report, we examined the efficacy of two potent 3CLpro inhibitors, 5d and 11d, in fatal animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV to demonstrate their broad-spectrum activity against both viral infections. These compounds significantly increased the survival of mice in both models when treatment started 1 day post infection compared to no treatment which led to 100% fatality. Especially, the treatment with compound 11d resulted in 80% and 90% survival in SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV-infected mice, respectively. Amelioration of lung viral load and histopathological changes in treated mice correlated well with improved survival in both infection models. Furthermore, compound 11d exhibited significant antiviral activities in K18-hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16. The results suggest that these are promising candidates for further development as broad-spectrum direct-acting antivirals against highly virulent human coronaviruses.IMPORTANCEHuman coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continue to have a significant impact on public health. A limited or lacking therapeutic arsenal for SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV infections calls for an expanded and diversified portfolio of antivirals against these coronavirus infections. We have previously reported a series of small-molecule 3C-like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors against human coronaviruses. In this report, we demonstrated the in vivo efficacy of 3CLpro inhibitors for their broad-spectrum activity against both SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV infections using the fatal animal models. The results suggest that these are promising candidates for further development as broad-spectrum direct-acting antivirals against highly virulent human coronaviruses.

Shuttle peptide delivers base editor RNPs to rhesus monkey airway epithelial cells in vivo.

Gene editing strategies for cystic fibrosis are challenged by the complex barrier properties of airway epithelia. We previously reported that the amphiphilic S10 shuttle peptide non-covalently combined with CRISPR-associated (Cas) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enabled editing of human and mouse airway epithelial cells. Here, we derive the S315 peptide as an improvement over S10 in delivering base editor RNP. Following intratracheal aerosol delivery of Cy5-labeled peptide in rhesus macaques, we confirm delivery throughout the respiratory tract. Subsequently, we target CCR5 with co-administration of ABE8e-Cas9 RNP and S315. We achieve editing efficiencies of up-to 5.3% in rhesus airway epithelia. Moreover, we document persistence of edited epithelia for up to 12 months in mice. Finally, delivery of ABE8e-Cas9 targeting the CFTR R553X mutation restores anion channel function in cultured human airway epithelia. These results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of base editor delivery with S315 to functionally correct the CFTR R553X mutation in respiratory epithelia.

Recently activated CD4 T cells in tuberculosis express OX40 as a target for host-directed immunotherapy.

After Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, many effector T cells traffic to the lungs, but few become activated. Here we use an antigen receptor reporter mouse (Nur77-GFP) to identify recently activated CD4 T cells in the lungs. These Nur77-GFPHI cells contain expanded TCR clonotypes, have elevated expression of co-stimulatory genes such as Tnfrsf4/OX40, and are functionally more protective than Nur77-GFPLO cells. By contrast, Nur77-GFPLO cells express markers of terminal exhaustion and cytotoxicity, and the trafficking receptor S1pr5, associated with vascular localization. A short course of immunotherapy targeting OX40+ cells transiently expands CD4 T cell numbers and shifts their phenotype towards parenchymal protective cells. Moreover, OX40 agonist immunotherapy decreases the lung bacterial burden and extends host survival, offering an additive benefit to antibiotics. CD4 T cells from the cerebrospinal fluid of humans with HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis commonly express surface OX40 protein, while CD8 T cells do not. Our data thus propose OX40 as a marker of recently activated CD4 T cells at the infection site and a potential target for immunotherapy in tuberculosis.