Novel Antiviral Based on Crosslinking Marburgvirus nucleoprotein

Our major goal is to target the immutable portions of a replicating virus, thereby not allowing viral replication over a long period of time. We have a panel of llama single domain antibodies that bind to a region of Marburg virus nucleoprotein that has shown no mutations since it emerged in 1967. We aim to engineer one of these antibodies to crosslink nucleoprotein molecules within the cell to confuse the viral replication machinery, essentially jamming it and reducing the yield of progeny virus. Because the nanobodies are so small and easily engineered it is conceivable that the approach can be combined with our anti-Ebola nucleoprotein antibodies which cross-react among 5 different Ebola species to form a broad spectrum anti-Filovirus drug. When successful, and with the appropriate antibodies we can extend our strategy to countering other viruses.