DNA shells attach to viruses for life-saving solution
Viruses are an unpredictable threat to global health, the economy and society - we have known this at least since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several million people have died since the beginning of the pandemic. There is still a lack of effective therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants. The truth is: there are still no therapeutics against many other viruses either. Potentiating viral loads, high mutation rates and limited targets are inherent to viruses, making them true "survival artists" and placing high demands on drug development. The great desire to overcome the pandemic helped new technologies based on mRNA and equally new ways in drug delivery to achieve a rapid breakthrough in vaccine development – contrary to the expectations of many experts.
Similarly, breakthroughs in antiviral drug development are needed. Highly innovative approaches are required to combat viral infections. That is why SPRIND is supporting new technological approaches for breakthrough innovations to combat viral infections with this Challenge.
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Goal of this Challenge: New approaches for the development of antiviral therapeutics
The goal of the Challenge is to expand the repertoire of antiviral therapeutics with breakthrough technologies so that new treatment options will be available in the future and patients can be helped quickly. The Challenge teams are developing approaches for broad-spectrum antivirals and platform technologies for the rapid development of antiviral agents. At the end of the Challenge, the active agent resulting from the solution approach has to be tested in a proof of concept adapted to the development stage.
CRISPR/CAS13
Team CRISPR antivirals use the antiviral defense system CRISPR/Cas13 - perfected by millions of years of evolution by bacteria - to block proliferation and cytopathic effects of RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 through cleavage of their viral genome and mRNA.
iGUARD platform
The iGUARD team develops next-generation RNAi-based molecular therapeutics against respiratory viruses using machine-learning for automated target identification and an optimized vector platform for delivery and preclinical validation in human patient-relevant models.
Virustrap
Team Virustrap uses DNA Origami technology to build nano scale traps for viruses.
MucBoost
Team MucBoost develops an upgrade against pathogens: Boosting the antiviral efficacy of mucus.
Participating in the Challenge pushes the teams to their full potential. We therefore provide intensive and individual support. This includes funding the teams as well as individual support from a Challenge coach, who has significant experience in the Challenge area and has already implemented high-impact innovations.
In the first year of the Challenge, SPRIND funded the teams' work with up to 700,000 euros, in the second year with up to 1.5 million euros, and in the current third year with up to 2.5 million euros each. We provide funding quickly and unbureaucratically, so that the teams can concentrate fully on their innovations.
Thinking one step further: Ideas with the potential for disruptive innovations must be brought to market to benefit patients. That is why SPRIND continues to support projects with potential for breakthrough innovation even after the Challenge has ended.
In October 2023, the expert jury selected the participants for the third and final stage of the 'Broad-Spectrum Antivirals' challenge. Four teams will each receive up to 2.5 million euros over the next twelve months for the further development of their radically new of antiviral therapeutics.
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Science Youtuber Jacob Beautemps introduces the six Challenge teams of stage 2 at Breaking Lab
Revolution in medicine? Jacob Beautemps takes a closer look at CRISPR CAS technology
Our jury of scientists and science entrepreneurs will evaluate all applications and select the teams that have what it takes to implement breakthrough innovations.
Joachim Spatz
Karin Mölling
Detlev Riesner
Nikolaus Rajewsky
Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
Holger Reithinger
February 28, 2022
What is an "Innovation Challenge"? What role is played by competition and cooperation? And what are the current SPRIND challenges about? Our host Thomas Ramge asks: Dr. Diane Seimetz, co-founder of Biopharma Excellence and innovation coach, and Dr. Jano Costard, Challenge Officer of the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation.
Listen to the episode (in German).
Do you have further questions?
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at challenge@sprind.org.
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Dietz has a vision: To capture viruses and render them harmless. His idea is to use small, flat shells that float around in the blood and attach themselves to viruses. The coating of these shells then prevents the viruses from coming into contact with cell surfaces. “The idea is to affect the surface of the virus particles in such a way that it can no longer successfully infect a human cell,” explains Dietz, the Chair of Biomolecular Nanotechnology at the Technical University of Munich.
The 45-year-old and his team construct the small shells from DNA molecules. These are used as building blocks for the construction of precise three-dimensional structures in the nanometer range. The technique is based on the complementary base pairs of DNA, which make it possible to design specific sequences that assemble into stable structures consisting of multiple crosslinked DNA double helices.
The 45-year-old and his team construct the small shells from DNA molecules. These are used as building blocks for the construction of precise three-dimensional structures in the nanometer range. The technique is based on the complementary base pairs of DNA, which make it possible to design specific sequences that assemble into stable structures consisting of multiple crosslinked DNA double helices.
The thought never left him, and Dietz became interested in viral diseases. “I found it shocking that there is not much we can do about the vast majority of viral diseases. In some cases you can prevent it with vaccinations, but if you get sick, you are usually out of luck; you either pull through or not.”
DNA shells could potentially encapsulate a variety of viruses. Depending on the type of virus, the inside of the shell is modularly coated with different adhesives, meaning, the team uses special polymers and antibodies to bind the viruses to the shells. “We simply buy the antibodies and apply them to the shells,” says Dietz. “The downside is that antibodies are expensive to make, which also drives up the cost of potential drugs. So in the long term, we want to move away from antibodies, using artificial intelligence to design and more easily make virus binders that match the surface properties of viruses.”
DNA shells could potentially encapsulate a variety of viruses. Depending on the type of virus, the inside of the shell is modularly coated with different adhesives, meaning, the team uses special polymers and antibodies to bind the viruses to the shells. “We simply buy the antibodies and apply them to the shells,” says Dietz. “The downside is that antibodies are expensive to make, which also drives up the cost of potential drugs. So in the long term, we want to move away from antibodies, using artificial intelligence to design and more easily make virus binders that match the surface properties of viruses.”
The physicist has been working with this fabrication method, known as DNA origami, for quite some time. “The goal was always to make new drugs at some point,” says Hendrik Dietz. “But the question was: Where can DNA origami be used in the most meaningful way; namely, what context would allow us to achieve an impact that cannot otherwise be easily achieved with existing methods?” In 2018, it clicked. “I had two computer screens at the time,” Dietz explains. “On one screen, there were shell prototypes that we had designed more as a research project with no immediate application, and on the other screen, I had a picture of a virus. And then I thought, what would happen if I put the virus in a shell like that?”
Nothing has to be perfect—neither the quality of the adhesive nor its placement on the shell. This is because the sheer design of the shell significantly increases the adhesive effect.
Currently, the Virustrap team is focusing on demonstrating, in animal studies, if and to what effect the virus trap can contain viral infections. The team is working on testing the trap on the Chikungunya virus, which is a tropical infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. No treatment or vaccination currently exists. In the first series of animal experiments, mice were given a lethal dose of the virus. While the control group died on day five, all the mice treated with Chikungunya virus traps survived. “I cannot really believe it myself yet because it just worked so well. It was an almost binary effect,” says Dietz, pleased with the success.
Currently, the Virustrap team is focusing on demonstrating, in animal studies, if and to what effect the virus trap can contain viral infections. The team is working on testing the trap on the Chikungunya virus, which is a tropical infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. No treatment or vaccination currently exists. In the first series of animal experiments, mice were given a lethal dose of the virus. While the control group died on day five, all the mice treated with Chikungunya virus traps survived. “I cannot really believe it myself yet because it just worked so well. It was an almost binary effect,” says Dietz, pleased with the success.
The virus traps are designed to work outside the cells. Injections are an obvious choice; however, nasal spray or pills are also real possibilities that still need to be tested. Another important step involves thorough testing to understand how the body will react to the viral traps. Dietz is optimistic, saying, “In mice, our virus traps seem to be well tolerated so far. Such structured DNA, like in the shells, does not occur naturally. So maybe to a certain extent, the viral traps are flying under the immune defense’s radar.”
“I firmly believe in the value of our invention. I am driven by the idea of how life would be if we no longer had to worry about viral infections. The social implications would be enormous.”
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