Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a novel human coronavirus, there is no specific antiviral drugs. It has been proved that host-cell-expressed CD147 could bind spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and involve in host cell invasion. Antibody against CD147 could block the infection of SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of meplazumab, a humanized anti-CD147 antibody, as add-on therapy in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Methods: All patients received recommended strategy from Diagnosis and Treatment for 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases released by National Health Commission of China. Eligible patients were add-on administered 10 mg meplazumab intravenously at days 1, 2, and 5. Patients hospitalized in the same period were observed as concurrent control. The endpoints include virological clearance rate, case severity, chest radiographic, and laboratory test. This trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Institution at the Tangdu hospital, and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 04275245.
Findings:17 patients were enrolled and assigned to meplazumab group between Feb 3, 2020 and Feb 10, 2020. 11 hospitalized patients served as concurrent control. Baseline characteristics were generally balanced across two groups. Compared to control group, meplazumab treatment significantly improved the discharged (p=0.006) and case severity (p=0.021) in critical and severe patients. The time to virus negative in meplazumab group was reduced than that in control group (median 3, 95%CI[1.5-4.5] vs. 13, [6.5-19.5]; p=0.014, HR=0.37, 95%CI[0.155-0.833]). The percentages of patients recovered to the normal lymphocyte count and CRP concentration were also increased remarkably and rapidly in meplazumab group. No adverse effect was found in meplazumab-treated patients.
Interpretation:Meplazumab efficiently improved the recovery of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia with a favorable safety profile. Our results support to carry out a large-scale investigation of meplazumab as a treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia.
Funding:National Science and Technology Major Project.
SUMMARYFloral organ identity is defined by organ homoetic genes whose coordinated expression is crucial with respect to the time and place of floral organ formation. Here, we report molecular cloning and characterization of the rice STAMENLESS 1 (SL1) gene that is involved in floral development. The sl1 mutant largely resembles the rice B-class gene mutant spw1; both exhibit homeotic conversions of lodicules and stamens to palea/lemmalike organs and carpels. Additionally, sl1 produces flowers with varied numbers of inner floral organs, and amorphous tissues without floral organ identity were frequently formed in whorls 3 and 4. We also show that SL1 specifies lodicule and stamen identities through positive transcriptional regulation of SPW1/OsMADS16 expression. SL1 encodes a member of the C2H2 family of zinc finger proteins, closely related to JAG of Arabidopsis. The functional divergence between SL1 and JAG implies that SL1 was co-opted for its distinctive roles in specification of floral organ identity in rice after the lineage split from Arabidopsis.
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