SBIR Phase II: Stress Pathway Inhibition To Prevent COVID-19 Infection (COVID-19)

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将推动COVID-19的治疗。导致COVID-19的病毒感染会对类似癌症、肥胖、糖尿病和衰老的细胞造成压力。该项目为危重患者提供了一种单一的无毒注射，以减少细胞应激，阻断病毒感染，提高生存率。此外，这种生物疗法对SARS-CoV-2突变、埃博拉病毒和甲型流感也有效，这有可能改变病毒感染和癌症治疗的治疗方法。这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目通过阻断肺细胞上的SARS-CoV-2受体，推进了一种治疗COVID-19的方法。该项目推进了一项发现，即生存蛋白GRP78对病毒的感染性至关重要，而相关的抑制剂可以预防感染。该项目优化了使用GRP78先导抑制剂阻断SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白（SPs）和突变的方法，以及其他病毒受体结合域（rbd）与受体和肺细胞结合的方法。预计GRP78先导抑制剂阻断SARS-CoV-2、埃博拉病毒和甲型流感病毒对肺细胞的全病毒感染的效果将超过99%。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project advance the treatment of COVID-19. A viral infection like that leading to COVID-19 creates stress on cells similar to cancer, obesity, diabetes and aging. This project advances a single non-toxic injection for critical patients to reduce cellular stress, block virus infection, and increase survival. In addition, this biologic therapy is also effective against the SARS-CoV-2 mutations, Ebola, and Influenza A. This has the potential to transform treatment for virus infections and cancer therapy. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project advances a treatment to end COVID-19 by blocking the SARS-CoV-2 receptors on lung cells. The project advances discoveries that a survival protein, GRP78, is essential for virus infectivity and that an associated inhibitor can prevent infection. The project optimizes methods to use a lead GRP78 inhibitor to block spike proteins (SPs) of SARS-CoV-2 and mutations, as well as other virus receptor binding domains (RBDs) from binding to receptors and to lung cells. It is anticipated that the efficacy of the lead GRP78 inhibitor to block whole virus SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and Influenza A viruses’ infection on lung cells will exceed 99%.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.