High-throughput approaches of diagnosis and therapies for COVID-19: antibody panels, proteomics and metabolomics

ABSTRACT: The urgent need for diagnostics and therapeutics against the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the great potential of antibodies, proteomics and metabolomics in this direction. Several clinical trials are underway using antibodies from COVID-19 patients that show very specific and strong binding to viral proteins leading to neutralization. On the other hand, proteomic and metabolomic profiles of COVID-19 patients present novel diagnostic biomarkers to predict patient outcomes and enable the development of personalized therapeutics to target the dysregulated pathways, as revealed by those profiles. Here, we discuss how studies based on antibodies, proteomics and metabolomics contribute to the development of diagnostics and therapeutics against COVID-19. The elegant technology can extend to high-throughput, rapid and reliable drug discovery strategies of the future. Lay abstract In order to prevent and treat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, several groups around the world are focused on a detailed understanding of the biology of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the biological events occurring inside the patients and the response of the patients to the infection. SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Some of the approaches to combat the pandemic have provided important results that can help toward therapeutic developments against COVID-19. This review discusses three such areas – antibody treatment to prevent COVID-19 infection, analysis of changes in protein profiles of COVID-19 patients, and analysis of metabolism or energy-related changes in COVID-19 patients. Antibodies are molecules produced in the host’s body as a defense response to infection. Antibodies extracted from patients who recovered from COVID-19 have been used to successfully manufacture large amounts of antibodies to treat COVID-19 patients. The analysis of protein and metabolism profiles of COVID-19 patients has shown that several proteins and metabolism-related entities in the body are either upregulated or downregulated in COVID-19. These abnormal levels can either be attenuated by medical intervention or can be monitored as indicators of COVID-19 diagnosis. Overall, antibodies, protein and metabolism profiles are three important tools, among several others, that are helpful in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Sen R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7714045 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature