Binding Behaviors of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Ivermectin

Kasidy Gossen, MEIYI ZHANG, Brooke Smith, Maria King, Texas A&M University

     Abstract Number: 618
     Working Group: Aerosol Science of Infectious Diseases: Lessons and Open Questions on Models, Transmission and Mitigation

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), sparked an international debate on the best ways to prevent and treat the virus. Specifically, there were many varying opinions on the use of ivermectin throughout the world, with minimal research to support either side. Ivermectin is an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug that was discovered in the 1970s and was found to show anti-viral activity. The objective of this study was to examine the binding behavior and rate of association between SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD), ivermectin, and their combination using aminopropyl silane (APS) biosensors as surrogates for hydrophobic ACE receptors to determine the potential of ivermectin as a repurposed drug for SARS-CoV-2 prevention and treatment. The ivermectin binding kinetics were analyzed using biolayer interferometry (BLI), a label-free technology, and validated with molecular dynamics simulation. Our results show that with increasing ivermectin concentration the association rate with the hydrophobic surface increases with a simultaneous decrease in dissociation. Significant kinetic changes to RBD, when combined with ivermectin, were found only at thousand times the approved dosage. Our study suggests that ivermectin is not an effective preventative or treatment method at the currently approved dosage.