Tropism and Pathogenesis of Influenza Virus and Coronavirus in Human Brain Explant Culture (COVID-19)

August 16, 2022 updated by: Owen Ho KO, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Background:

Influenza and coronavirus have been repeatedly causing pandemic recently. Like the Influenza A/H7N9 virus has caused five epidemics in China since its first detection in East China in 2013. In 2017, the previously low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7N9 virus underwent mutation in its haemagglutinin to give to a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus causing 32 human cases and potentially poses a threat to animal and human health. More recently, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been heavily affecting the world. Therefore an effective risk assessment platform is urgently required for better pandemic preparation.

Hypothesis:

The tissue tropism and pathogenesis of a newly emerged infectious viruses, like the highlypathogenic influenza, like H7N9 and coronavirus, like SARS-CoV-2 would be different from that of their low pathogenic subtype and it would infect and replicate the human respiratory system more efficiently.

Because of its resistance to oseltamivir for influenza and no effective antiviral for coronavirus, investigators therefore propose to set up an novel and effective risk assessment platform for emerging infectious viruses.

Experimental Design:

The tissue tropism and viral replication kinetics of a HPAI and LP influenza and coronavirus will be determined in ex vivo cultures of human brain and compared with their LP subtype. The replication competence and innate immune responses of influenza and coronavirus will be studied and compared with other LP virus in in vitro cultures of human brain cells and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) both isolated from human brain tissues.

Expected outcomes:

HPAI influenza and coronavirus particularly SARS-CoV-2 will infect and replicate the human brain tissues and cells more efficiently than their LP subtype. Besides, HPAI influenza and SARS-CoV-2 will induce dysregulated host innate immune response than the LP subtype.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

In this study, 80 subjects who will undergoing elective or emergency craniotomies for intrinsic brain lesions at Prince of Wales Hospital, will be recruited.

This is a prospective and qualitative study. There is no randomization in the study procedure nor therapeutic invention for study subjects. No investigational product is involved.

Brain tissues that are normal discarded during the operation from patients who undergo elective or emergency craniotomies for intrinsic brain lesions will be collected for this study.

A consent for operation and agreement to use of removed tissue for scientific research will be obtained prior to the procedure.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Anticipated)

80

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

1 year to 70 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This study will recruit participants who will undergoing elective or emergency craniotomies for intrinsic brain lesions at Prince of Wales Hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age: > 1 year old and < 70 years old
  2. Undergo elective or emergency craniotomies for intrinsic brain lesions

Exclusion Criteria:

a. Samples containing infected material

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Only
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Replication kinetics of influenza virus using ex vivo cultures of human brain
Time Frame: baseline
Tissue fragments will be infected with 106 TCID50/mL for 1h at 37°C and then washed with 3 ml of warm PBS for three times to remove unbound virus. To determine productive viral replication from the infected biopsy specimens, supernatants of the infected cultures will be collected at 1, 24, 48 and 72hpi and virus titers will be determined by TCID50 assay. Explant cultures will be fixed in 10% formalin at 24 and 72hpi and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) against HB65 antibody (European Veterinary Laboratories), SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 viral antibody will be performed for the detection of virus-infected cells.
baseline
replication efficiency and innate immune responses of influenza virus
Time Frame: baseline
Cells will be infected with viruses at either MOI of 0.01 or 2 for 1h. After 1h virus adsorption, viruses will be aspirated and cells will be washed with PBS for three times, then medium will be replenished. For cells infected at MOI of 0.01, cell culture supernatant will be harvested at 1, 24, 48 and 72hpi and viral titers will be determined by TCID50 assay.
baseline
Replication kinetics of coronavirus using ex vivo cultures of human brain
Time Frame: Baseline
Tissue fragments will be infected with 106 TCID50/mL for 1h at 37°C and then washed with 3 ml of warm PBS for three times to remove unbound virus. To determine productive viral replication from the infected biopsy specimens, supernatants of the infected cultures will be collected at 1, 24, 48 and 72hpi and virus titers will be determined by TCID50 assay. Explant cultures will be fixed in 10% formalin at 24 and 72hpi and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) against HB65 antibody (European Veterinary Laboratories), SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 viral antibody will be performed for the detection of virus-infected cells.
Baseline
replication efficiency and innate immune responses coronavirus
Time Frame: Baseline
Cells will be infected with viruses at either MOI of 0.01 or 2 for 1h. After 1h virus adsorption, viruses will be aspirated and cells will be washed with PBS for three times, then medium will be replenished. For cells infected at MOI of 0.01, cell culture supernatant will be harvested at 1, 24, 48 and 72hpi and viral titers will be determined by TCID50 assay.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Owen Ho Ko, PhD, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 26, 2022

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

March 31, 2024

Study Completion (Anticipated)

September 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 12, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

May 16, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 17, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 16, 2022

Last Verified

August 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2022.120

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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