Madai Mónika, Hanna Dániel, Hetényi Roland, Földes Fanni, Lanszki Zsófia, Zana Brigitta, Somogyi Balázs, Papp Henrietta, Kuczmog Anett, Faragó-Sipos Orsolya, Nemes Csaba, Palya Vilmos, Horváth Dávid Géza, Balka Gyula, Bányai Krisztián, Jia Xinkai, Balogh Péter, Bajnóczi Pál
National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
RoLink Biotechnology Kft., 7623 Pécs, Hungary.
Vaccines (Basel). 2024 Dec 17;12(12):1422. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12121422.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for alternative prophylactic measures, particularly for populations for whom vaccines may not be effective or accessible. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of intranasally administered IgY antibodies derived from hen egg yolks as a protective agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Syrian golden hamsters, a well-established animal model for COVID-19.
Hens were immunized with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to generate IgY antibodies. These antibodies were extracted from the egg yolks, purified, and their neutralizing activity was tested in vitro. Syrian golden hamsters were then treated with the IgY antibodies before being challenged with SARS-CoV-2. Viral loads were quantified using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and lung pathology was assessed through histopathological analysis.
The in vitro assays showed that IgY effectively neutralized SARS-CoV-2. In the in vivo hamster model, IgY treatment led to a significant reduction in viral loads and a marked decrease in lung consolidation and inflammation compared to the positive control group. Histopathological findings further supported the protective role of IgY in reducing lung damage caused by SARS-CoV-2.
The results demonstrate that IgY antibodies exhibit strong antiviral activity and can significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral loads and associated lung pathology in hamsters. These findings suggest that IgY could be a viable prophylactic option for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly for individuals who cannot receive or respond to vaccines. Further studies are warranted to optimize dosage and explore the long-term efficacy of IgY antibodies.
背景/目的：持续的新冠疫情凸显了采取替代预防措施的必要性，特别是对于那些疫苗可能无效或无法接种的人群。本研究旨在评估经鼻腔给药的源自鸡蛋蛋黄的IgY抗体作为一种保护剂，在叙利亚仓鼠（一种成熟的新冠动物模型）中预防严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染的效果。
用SARS-CoV-2的刺突蛋白免疫母鸡以产生IgY抗体。从蛋黄中提取这些抗体，进行纯化，并在体外测试其中和活性。然后在叙利亚仓鼠感染SARS-CoV-2之前用IgY抗体进行治疗。使用液滴数字PCR（ddPCR）对病毒载量进行定量，并通过组织病理学分析评估肺部病理情况。
体外试验表明，IgY能有效中和SARS-CoV-2。在体内仓鼠模型中，与阳性对照组相比，IgY治疗导致病毒载量显著降低，肺部实变和炎症明显减轻。组织病理学结果进一步支持了IgY在减轻SARS-CoV-2引起的肺部损伤方面的保护作用。
结果表明，IgY抗体具有强大的抗病毒活性，可以显著降低仓鼠体内的SARS-CoV-2病毒载量及相关的肺部病理变化。这些发现表明，IgY可能是预防SARS-CoV-2感染的一种可行的预防选择，特别是对于那些无法接种或对疫苗无反应的个体。有必要进一步研究以优化剂量并探索IgY抗体的长期疗效。
