Construction of a Noninfectious SARS-CoV-2 Replicon for Antiviral-Drug Testing and Gene Function Studies
Hai Trong Nguyen, Darryl Falzarano, Volker Gerdts, Qiang Liu
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is having a catastrophic impact on human lives. Combatting the pandemic requires effective vaccines and antiviral drugs. In the present study, we developed a SARS-CoV-2 replicon system with a sensitive and easily quantifiable reporter. Unlike studies involving infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus that must be performed in a biosafety level 3 (BSL3) facility, the replicon is noninfectious and thus can be safely used in BSL2 laboratories. The replicon will provide a valuable tool for testing antiviral drugs and studying SARS-CoV-2 biology.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyVirologyRepliconPandemicAntiviral drugSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakDrugBetacoronavirusGeneVirusGeneticsGenomeInfectious disease (medical specialty)PharmacologyDiseaseMedicinePathologyOutbreakSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingViral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology