Redirection of SARS-CoV-2 to Phagocytes by Intranasal sACE2-Fc as a Universal Decoy Confers Complete Prophylactic Protection

Abstract

The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory RNA viruses limits the success of current vaccines and antibody-based therapies. Engineered decoy receptors based on soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) offer promising alternatives. Clinical-grade recombinant sACE2 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro but shows limited clinical success. This study reports an optimized sACE2 mutant fused to human IgG1 Fc (B5-D3), which redirects virus-decoy complexes to lysosomal degradation in macrophages. Intranasal prophylactic delivery of B5-D3 confers complete protection in SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice. Abrogation of Fc effector functions compromises antiviral protection, indicating that Fc-mediated uptake of virus-decoy complexes is critical. Transcriptomic analysis suggests that B5-D3 induces early immune activation in lungs of infected mice. Bio-distribution and flow cytometry reveal selective targeting of airway phagocytes. In vitro assays confirm lysosomal degradation of virus-decoy complexes by macrophages without productive infection. These findings reveal a distinct antiviral mechanism via phagocytic clearance, supporting refined regimens for decoy treatments against SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other respiratory viruses.