SpongeBot: genetically engineered cells to suppress SARS-CoV-2 and future viruses

海绵机器人代表了一种新的转基因细胞，以应对新冠肺炎大流行，利用 根据提案团队现有的NIH NIBIB R01项目开发的新型抗病毒平台。这种抗病毒药 平台促进了针对SARS-CoV-2病毒的快速、有针对性的海绵机器人开发和部署 突变以及全新的病毒--为未来的病毒大流行提供了障碍。 SARS-CoV-2具有很高的传染性，个人甚至可以在成为 出现症状，急剧增加疾病传播率。在感染后的头两周， 先天免疫系统试图减缓迅速繁殖的病原体，为适应 免疫系统发展出更具体和有效的机制来摧毁病毒。然而，在个人中， 随着免疫反应的降低或受损，过量的病毒载量可能会导致炎症加剧， 严重的组织损伤，最终导致死亡。 海绵机器人是我们基于细胞的生物工程治疗解决方案，为人体免疫系统提供至关重要的支持， 通过基因设计的能力在损伤部位隔离和销毁SARS-CoV-2病毒颗粒， 除了减弱免疫系统对病毒的高炎症反应外。管理 海绵机器人细胞可减少病毒载量并将其保持在危险阈值以下，防止 有害的过度炎症，并为适应性免疫系统提供必要的时间来安装有效的 对病毒的防御。 海绵机器人可以预防性地用于高危人群(例如，医护人员、老年人或 免疫受损的人)，或在病毒感染过程中的任何阶段进行治疗。重要的是 海绵机器人疗法是极其安全的；基础技术有着长期证明的临床安全记录。不像 疫苗或抗病毒药物所需的漫长开发时间，有针对性的海绵机器人疗法 可以立即对预测的病毒进行临床试验。一种新型病毒的海绵机器人开发 将在大约12周内准备好部署。

SpongeBot represents a new class of genetically modified cells to address the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging a novel antiviral platform developed under the proposer team’s existing NIH NIBIB R01 project. This antiviral platform facilitates rapid, targeted SpongeBot development and deployment against SARS-CoV-2, its viral mutations, as well as entirely new viruses - providing a barrier to future viral pandemics. SARS-CoV-2 is highly communicable and individuals can transmit the disease even prior to becoming symptomatic, sharply increasing the rate of disease spread. During the first two weeks following infection, the innate immune system attempts to slow down the rapidly multiplying pathogen to provide time for the adaptive immune system to develop more specific and effective mechanisms to destroy the virus. However, in individuals with decreased or compromised immune responses, the excessive viral load can lead to elevated inflammation, severe tissue damage, and ultimately death. SpongeBot, our bioengineered cell-based therapy solution, provides vital support to the body’s immune system, through its genetically designed ability to sequester and destroy SARS-CoV-2 viral particles at sites of injury, in addition to attenuation of the immune system’s hyperinflammatory response to the virus. Administering SpongeBot cells to an infected individual reduces and keeps viral load below dangerous thresholds, prevents harmful hyperinflammation, and provides the adaptive immune system the time required to mount an effective defense against the virus. SpongeBot can be administered prophylactically to at-risk populations (e.g., healthcare workers, the elderly, or immunocompromised individuals), or therapeutically at any stage during the course of viral infection. Importantly, SpongeBot therapy is extremely safe; the base technology has a long proven clinical safety track record. Unlike the lengthy development times necessary for vaccines or antiviral medications, a targeted SpongeBot therapy against a predicted virus can be placed in clinical trials immediately. SpongeBot development for a novel virus would be ready for deployment in only about 12 weeks.