Open AccessAn immunotoxin targeting Ebola virus glycoprotein inhibits Ebola virus production from infected cells
Author(s) -
Yíngyún Caì,
Shuǐqìng Yú,
Xiangyang Chi,
Sheli R. Radoshitzky,
Jens H. Kuhn,
Edward A. Berger
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0245024
Subject(s) - ebola virus , immunotoxin , virology , ebolavirus , filoviridae , pseudomonas exotoxin , monoclonal antibody , virus , biology , antibody , immunology , cytotoxicity , viral disease , in vitro , paramyxoviridae , biochemistry
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.