Methods and compositions for coronavirus diagnostics and therapeutics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238601-A1
Application number	US-201415029190-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 14, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and compositions for detecting a coronavirus in a sample and identifying the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample.

First claim

1 . A method of detecting the presence of a coronavirus in a sample and identifying the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample, comprising:
a) contacting a sample with a panel of proteins comprising: 1) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2c coronavirus, 2) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2b coronavirus, 3) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2a coronavirus, 4) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2d coronavirus, 5) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 1a coronavirus, 6) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 1b coronavirus, and 7) any combination of (1) through (6) above, under conditions whereby an antigen/antibody complex can form; and b) detecting formation of an antigen/antibody complex, whereby detection of formation of the antigen/antibody complex detects a coronavirus in the sample and whereby detection of formation of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (1) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2c; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (2) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2b; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (3) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2a; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (4) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2d; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (5) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 1a; and detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (6) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 1b.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the sample with one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 3 coronavirus, whereby detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of a subgroup 3 coronavirus identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as a subgroup 3 coronavirus.

3 . A method of identifying a coronavirus spike protein for administration to elicit an immune response to coronavirus in a subject infected by a coronavirus and/or a subject at risk of coronavirus infection and/or to a subject for whom eliciting an immune response to a coronavirus is needed or desired, comprising:
a) contacting a sample obtained from a subject infected with a coronavirus with a panel of proteins comprising: 1) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2c coronavirus, 2) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2b coronavirus, 3) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2a coronavirus, 4) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2d coronavirus, 5) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 1a coronavirus, 6) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 1b coronavirus, and 7) any combination of (1) through (6) above,
under conditions whereby an antigen/antibody complex can form; and
b) detecting formation of an antigen/antibody complex, whereby detection of formation of the antigen/antibody complex comprising the spike protein(s) of any of (1)-(6) identifies the presence of antibodies to a spike protein of the coronavirus that is infecting the subject of (a), thereby identifying a coronavirus spike protein for administration to the subject of (a) and/or to a subject infected with a coronavirus and/or to a subject at risk of coronavirus infection and/or to a subject for whom eliciting an immune response to a coronavirus is needed or desired.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising contacting the sample with one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 3 coronavirus, whereby detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the spike protein(s) of a subgroup 3 coronavirus identifies the presence of antibodies to a spike protein of the coronavirus that is infecting the subject of (a), thereby identifying a coronavirus spike protein for administration to the subject of (a) and/or to a subject infected with a coronavirus and/or to a subject at risk of coronavirus infection and/or to a subject for whom eliciting an immune response to a coronavirus is needed or desired.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of administering the coronavirus spike protein identified according to the method to the subject of (a) and/or to a subject at risk of coronavirus infection and/or to a subject infected with a coronavirus and/or to a subject for whom eliciting an immune response to a coronavirus is needed or desired.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the coronavirus spike protein is administered as part of an inactivated coronavirus.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the coronavirus spike protein is administered as a VRP.

8 . A method of identifying a coronavirus spike protein for administration to elicit an immune response to coronavirus in a subject infected with a coronavirus and/or to a subject at risk of coronavirus infection and/or to a subject for whom eliciting an immune response to coronavirus is needed or desired, comprising:
a) contacting a sample obtained from a subject known or suspected to be infected with a coronavirus with a panel of proteins comprising:
1) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2c coronavirus,
2) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2b coronavirus,
3) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2a coronavirus,
4) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 2d coronavirus,
5) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 1a coronavirus,
6) one or more nucleocapsid proteins from a subgroup 1b coronavirus, and
7) any combination of (1) through (6) above,

under conditions whereby an antigen/antibody complex can form;
b) detecting formation of an antigen/antibody complex, whereby detection of formation of the antigen/antibody complex detects a coronavirus in the sample and whereby detection of formation of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (1) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2c; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (2) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2b; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (3) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2a; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (4) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 2d; detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (5) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 1a; and detection of an antigen/antibody complex comprising the nucleocapsid protein(s) of (6) identifies the subgroup of the coronavirus in the sample as subgroup 1b;
c) contacting the sample from the subject with a panel of proteins comprising:
1) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2c coronavirus,
2) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2b coronavirus,
3) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2a coronavirus,
4) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 2d coronavirus,
5) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 1a coronavirus,
6) one or more spike proteins from a subgroup 1b coronavirus, and
7) any combination of (1) through (6) above,

under conditions whereby an antigen/antibody complex can form; and
d) detecting formation of an antigen/antibody complex, whereby detection of formation of the antigen/antibody complex comprising

Assignees

• Univ North Carolina Chapel Hill

Inventors

• Baric Ralph
• Agnihothram Sudhakar
• Yount Boyd

Classifications

• A61K2039/53

  DNA (RNA) vaccination · CPC title

• C07K14/005

  from viruses · CPC title

• A61K2039/575

  humoral response · CPC title

• G01N2333/165

  Coronaviridae, e.g. avian infectious bronchitis virus · CPC title

• A61K2039/5258

  Virus-like particles · CPC title