An immunotoxin targeting Ebola virus glycoprotein inhibits Ebola virus production from infected cells

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 7;16(1):e0245024. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245024. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of the mononegaviral family Filoviridae, causes severe disease associated with high lethality in humans. Despite enormous progress in development of EBOV medical countermeasures, no anti-EBOV treatment has been approved. We designed an immunotoxin in which a single-chain variable region fragment of the EBOV glycoprotein-specific monoclonal antibody 6D8 was fused to the effector domains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PE38). This immunotoxin, 6D8-PE38, bound specifically to cells expressing EBOV glycoproteins. Importantly, 6D8-PE38 targeted EBOV-infected cells, as evidenced by inhibition of infectious EBOV production from infected cells, including primary human macrophages. The data presented here provide a proof of concept for immunotoxin-based targeted killing of infected cells as a potential antiviral intervention for Ebola virus disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Ebolavirus / drug effects*
  • Ebolavirus / immunology
  • Glycoproteins / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunotoxins / pharmacology*
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology
  • Virus Replication / drug effects*

Substances

  • Glycoproteins
  • Immunotoxins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins