CAR-NK Cells Targeting Sars-Cov-2 Glycosites As COVID-19 Treatment

Introduction: Banana Lectin (BanLec) is a glycoprotein-binding lectin derived from banana fruit that has antiviral activity. BanLec binds high mannose glycans expressed on the viral envelopes of HIV, Ebola, influenza, and coronaviruses. BanLec mitogenicity can be divorced from antiviral activity via a single amino acid change (H84T). The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein is decorated with high mannose N-glycosites that are in close proximity to the viral receptor binding domain (RBD). Our goal was to use the H84T-BanLec as the extracellular targeting domain of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). We hypothesized that engineering NK cells to express an H84T-BanLec CAR would specifically direct antiviral cytotoxicity against SARS-CoV-2.