Treatment of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides novel compositions and methods for treating an infection by Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). In particular, the present disclosure provides methods that entail administering agents having an anchoring domain that anchors the compound to the surface of a target cell, and a sialidase domain that can act extracellularly to inhibit infection of a target cell by MERS:CoV.

1 . A method of treating an infection by MERS-CoV in a patient, the method comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of an agent having sialidase activity. 
     
     
         2 . A method of reducing the risk of infection by MERS-CoV or the severity of infection by MERS-CoV, the method comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of an agent having sialidase activity. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent having sialidase activity is administered to the patient prior to infection by MERS-CoV. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent having sialidase activity is administered to the patient before the patient exhibits a symptom of infection by MERS-CoV. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the polypeptide comprises or consists of a fusion protein wherein the fusion protein comprises at least a first portion comprising all or a portion of a sialidase having sialidase activity and the second portion binds to a glycosaminoglacan (GAG). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the polypeptide comprises or consists of a fusion protein comprising at least a first portion comprising all or a portion of a sialidase having sialidase activity and the second portion has a net positive charge at physiological pH. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the portion that binds to a GAG is selected from the group comprising: human platelet factor 4 (SEQ ID NO: 2), human interleukin 8 (SEQ ID NO: 3), human antithrombin III (SEQ ID NO: 4), human apoprotein E (SEQ ID NO: 5), human angio associated migratory protein (SEQ ID NO: 6), and human amphiregulin (SEQ ID NO: 7). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sialidase is a bacterial sialidase. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the bacterial sialidase is selected from a group comprising:  Vibrio cholera, Arthrobacter ureafaciens, Clostridium perfringens, Actinomyces viscosus , and  Micromonospora viridifaciens.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sialidase is a human sialidase. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent is administered to the lung. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent is administered by inhalation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent having sialidase activity is DAS181. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering a composition comprising microparticles comprising DAS181. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient is immunocompromised. 
     
     
         17 . The method of any of the forgoing claims  claim 1  wherein the agent having sialidase activity comprises or consisting of a polypeptide comprising or consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:13 or SEQ ID NO:14. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the polypeptide comprises or consists of SEQ ID NO:13 or SEQ ID NO:14. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2  comprising treating the patient with a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient and a polypeptide comprising or consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:13 or SEQ ID NO:14.