Highly potent antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome

Currently the world is dealing with the third outbreak of the human-infecting coronavirus with potential lethal outcome, cause by a member of the Nidovirus family, the SARS-CoV-2. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the last worldwide pandemic. Successful development of vaccines highly contributed to reduce the severeness of the COVID-19 disease. To establish a control over the current and newly emerging coronaviruses of epidemic concern requires development of substances able to cure severely infected individuals and to prevent virus transmission. Here we present a therapeutic strategy targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and identify locked nucleic acid gapmers (LNA gapmers) potent to reduce by up to 96% the intracellular viral load in vitro. Our results strongly suggest promise of our preselected ASOs for further development as therapeutic or prophylactic anti-viral agents. One sentence summaryASOs (LNA gapmers) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome have been effective in viral RNA (load) reduction in vitro.

Efficacy assessment of newly-designed and locally-produced filtering facemasks during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic resulted in shortages of production and test capacity of FFP2-respirators. Such facemasks are required to be worn by healthcare professionals when performing aerosol-generating procedures on COVID-19 patients. In response to the high demand and short supply, we designed three models of facemasks that are suitable for local production. As these facemasks should meet the requirements of an FFP2-certified facemask, the newly-designed facemasks were tested on the filtration efficiency of the filter material, inward leakage, and breathing resistance with custom-made experimental setups. In these tests, the locally-produced facemasks were benchmarked against a commercial FFP2 facemask. Furthermore, the protective capacity of the facemasks was tested for the first time with coronavirus-loaded aerosols under physiologically relevant conditions. This multidisciplinary effort resulted in the design and production of facemasks that meet the FFP2 requirements, and which can be mass-produced at local production facilities.