Can Immunization of Hens Provide Oral-Based Therapeutics against COVID-19?

Abstract

In the current worldwide pandemic situation caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the newest coronavirus disease (COVID-19), therapeutics and prophylactics are urgently needed for a large population. Some of the prophylaxis strategies are based on the development of antibodies targeting viral proteins. IgY antibodies are a type of immunoglobulin present in birds, amphibians, and reptiles. They are usually obtained from egg yolk of hyper-immunized hens and represent a relatively inexpensive source of antibodies. Specific IgY can be produced by immunizing chickens with the target antigen and then purifying from the egg yolk. Chicken IgY has been widely explored as a clinical anti-infective material for prophylaxis, preventive medicine, and therapy of infectious diseases. Administered non-systemically, IgY antibodies are safe and effective drugs. Moreover, passive immunization with avian antibodies could become an effective alternative therapy, as these can be obtained relatively simply, cost-efficiently, and produced on a large scale. Here, we highlight the potential use of polyclonal avian IgY antibodies as an oral prophylactic treatment for respiratory viral diseases, such as COVID-19, for which no vaccine is yet available.

Potential Therapeutic Targets and Vaccine Development for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Pandemic Management: A Review on the Recent Update

“…It has been proposed that avian IgY from egg yolk could be used for oral prophylaxis. The scale-up production of hens and automatization of egg processing could provide a good alternative for the COVID19 pandemic situation (199). Clinical studies are underway for the development of an intranasal anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgY (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT04567810) (200).…”

Polyclonal hyper immunoglobulin: A proven treatment and prophylaxis platform for passive immunization to address existing and emerging diseases

“…[212][213][214] This mode of administration may be particularly beneficial for respiratory pathogens, such as COVID-19; direct antibody deposition in the airway would bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus particles and may enable a higher efficacy with a lower dose in inhibiting infections in the lung. [215][216][217] This technology is being evaluated for antibody therapeutics including monoclonals, [218][219][220][221][222] other modalities (nanobodies, [223][224][225] IgY 226,227 ), and possibly HIGs. 216…”

Recent advances in antibody‐based immunotherapy strategies for COVID‐19

“…Apart from the various attempts in developing the monoclonal antibodies targeting either the hACE2, viral proteins, or the immune response elements, various polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) are being designed or collected to be a prophylactic treatment for respiratory viral diseases, such as COVID‐19. 115 , 116 Lately, a Japanese drug company called Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. was reported to experimentally acquire an anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 polyclonal hyperimmune globulin (H‐IGs) collected from the plasma of the newly recovered COVID‐19 patients. 117…”