Revolutionary Nanobody Breakthrough: Targeting the Ebola Virus with Precision

The Ebola virus, recognized as one of the most lethal pathogens, incurs a mortality rate of approximately 50%, presenting a significant risk to global health and safety. In response to this issue, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center have established the first nanobody-based inhibitors aimed at combating the Ebola virus.

This research has been published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

Nanobodies are minuscule antibodies sourced from animals such as alpacas. Their diminutive size enables them to access regions of the virus and human tissues that larger antibodies are unable to reach. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team engineered nine nanobodies to combat the virus. They have now utilized this technology to create two additional nanobody inhibitors for Ebola: Nanosota-EB1 and Nanosota-EB2.

The nanobodies operate through different mechanisms to hinder the Ebola virus. The virus conceals the portion it utilizes for attachment to human cells beneath a protective covering. Nanosota-EB1 obstructs this layer from opening, thereby preventing the virus from adhering to cells. Conversely, Nanosota-EB2 targets a segment of the virus crucial for infiltrating cells, thereby halting its transmission. In laboratory assessments, Nanosota-EB2 demonstrated notable efficacy, significantly enhancing survival rates in mice infected with Ebola.

These nanobodies symbolize a critical advancement towards treatments for other viruses within the same family, including the Sudan and Marburg viruses. This flexibility is attributed to a newly developed design approach for nanobodies by the research team.

The investigation was spearheaded by Dr. Fang Li, co-director of the Midwest AViDD Center and a professor of Pharmacology. The research group comprised graduate student Fan Bu, research scientist Dr. Gang Ye, research associates Alise Mendoza, Hailey Turner-Hubbard, and Morgan Herbst (Department of Pharmacology), Dr. Bin Liu (Hormel Institute), and Dr. Robert Davey (Boston University).