BioDuro launches AI-driven COVID-19 nanobody therapeutic program

BioDuro said that it has launched a COVID-19 nanobody therapeutic program by leveraging its biologics discovery platform, which makes use of artificial intelligence computing and high-speed DNA mutagenesis technology.

The life sciences contract research and development organization expects to screen over 10 billion human synthetic antibodies generated by its technology platform.

BioDuro said that its COVID-19 program depends on synthetic antibody technology, targeting the ACE2 receptor on the human cell and also the spike protein on the virus.

The objective of the COVID-19 nanobody therapeutic program will be to prevent viral entry and fusion into the cell.  For this, BioDuro claims that its COVID-19 team has built a high diversity phage displayed synthetic antibody library, which is made up of nearly 10 billion human antibodies.

BioDuro launches AI-driven COVID-19 nanobody therapeutic program. Image: Pete Linforth from Pixabay.

According to the contract research and development organization, each antibody in the library is made to be unique using high speed DNA mutagenesis, a process which its scientists streamlined using advanced AI computing.

BioDuro said that the next step for its team will be to screen each and every antibody in its library, which will take a few months. The process will be for determining which antibody can disrupt the virus most optimally.

The final product of the COVID-19 nanobody therapeutic program is targeted to be a nanobody, which is an antibody, but contains just the one single, very small unit which is required for the identification and disruption of the novel coronavirus targets.

Commenting on the novel coronavirus nanobody therapeutic program, Xiang Li – Senior Vice President of BioDuro Integrated Biology said: “A significant advantage of the nanobody is that it is smaller, usually more stable and has better tissue penetration than a conventional antibody.

“This enables a direct pulmonary delivery route such as respiratory spray or atomizer, which can enhance efficacy by achieving high levels of local dose in areas of the lung that are needed, while minimizing side-effects that might be associated with systemic deliveries.”