Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pseudovirus (SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus)

A SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus is a chimeric viral particle designed to mimic the entry process of the live SARS-CoV-2 virus while lacking the ability to replicate (NIH, 2020). It is typically constructed by 'pseudotyping' a viral vector backbone, such as lentivirus or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein (Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021). This allows researchers to study the mechanisms of viral attachment and fusion with host cells, specifically the interaction with the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, in a safer Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) setting (Nature, 2020). The pseudovirus is not a therapeutic target itself but rather a sophisticated laboratory tool used for high-throughput screening of antiviral compounds and the quantification of neutralizing antibodies in patient sera or vaccine trials (PubMed, 2020). By incorporating reporter genes like luciferase or green fluorescent protein, the system provides a measurable signal upon successful cell entry, enabling the precise evaluation of entry inhibitors like Bamlanivimab (FDA, 2021). While highly effective for studying the Spike protein's role, it does not account for other viral proteins involved in the full SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, such as replication or assembly (MDPI, 2021).

Other names

SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virusSARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped particleSARS-CoV-2ppSARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped lentivirusSARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virusSARS-CoV-2 S-pseudotyped virus

The SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus is an assay system used to evaluate drugs that inhibit viral entry by blocking the interaction between the Spike protein (displayed on the pseudovirus surface) and the host ACE2 receptor (NIH, 2020).