| First Author | Ryu JK | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | bioRxiv | Mgi Jnum | J:311923 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6781645 | Doi | 10.1101/2021.10.12.464152 |
| Citation | Ryu JK, et al. (2021) SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces abnormal inflammatory blood clots neutralized by fibrin immunotherepy. bioRxiv |
| abstractText | Blood clots are a central feature of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and can culminate in pulmonary embolism, stroke, and sudden death. However, it is not known how abnormal blood clots form in COVID-19 or why they occur even in asymptomatic and convalescent patients. Here we report that the Spike protein from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the blood coagulation factor fibrinogen and induces structurally abnormal blood clots with heightened proinflammatory activity. SARS-CoV-2 Spike virions enhanced fibrin-mediated microglia activation and induced fibrinogen-dependent lung pathology. COVID-19 patients had fibrin autoantibodies that persisted long after acute infection. Monoclonal antibody 5B8, targeting the cryptic inflammatory fibrin epitope, inhibited thromboinflammation. Our results reveal a procoagulant role for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike and propose fibrin-targeting interventions as a treatment for thromboinflammation in COVID-19. |
