News Release

Patent Application Describes New Proteomic Methods to Monitor Protease Inhibitor Function During Covid-19 Infections

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ, October 30, 2020 -- Biotech Support Group reports on a patent application relevant to how membrane proteases coordinate cell entry of the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus. The patent disclosure describes new methods of proteomic analysis that can monitor how the body’s protease inhibitors are pre-disposed (or not), to suppress this entry mechanism, with potential for biomarkers to clinically manage severe disease and guide therapeutic development.  

The US provisional patent application is entitled “Methods to Monitor Functional Subforms of Serine Protease Inhibitors from Biofluids during Viral Infections”, filed on October 27, 2020.

Serine proteases are enzymes that irreversibly cleave proteins, and thus play critical roles in many key biological processes including digestion, blood coagulation, and immunity. During stress or inflammation, many proteases are secreted into the general circulation, while others are cell membrane bound; the largest group being the Type II Transmembrane Serine Proteases (TTSPs). TTSPs play a critical cooperative role in viral infectivity of influenza and coronaviruses and most especially in the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic.

With such viral infections, there comes an increased level of serine protease activity, due in part to both, an exuberant innate immune response to counter the infectious insult, and the added TTSP activity that derives from the viral load and propagation. As a result, current clinical practice has no ability to predict and monitor the protease storm triggered by SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) and similar infections, and with that, any possible severity, thrombosis and other complications.

The purpose and scope of this patent application is to:

>develop clinically actionable blood (and other accessible biofluids) biomarkers for viral infections that have a cell entry mechanism which utilize Type II Transmembrane Serine Proteases (TTSPs) as priming components, through proteomic measurement of functional subforms of the major inhibitory proteins that regulate protease storms - the Serpins, and

>utilize one or more proteomic patterns from these Serpin subforms as biomarkers for precision medicine to clinically manage viral infections.

“This new provisional patent amplifies the proteomic methods we have developed to measure Serpin function by differentiating active vs. inactive Serpins from blood and other biofluids. While soluble serine proteases are released from systemic granulocytic cargo during the innate immune response, some viruses and especially SARS-CoV-2, utilize membrane bound serine proteases to gain entry into host cells and cause clinical pathology. In this context, a better understanding of the physiological relevance of endogenous inhibitors, like Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (SerpinA1) and other Serpins in Covid-19, will be exceedingly important as biomarkers to monitor the potential for severe disease, and in the development of new anti-Covid-19 therapeutic strategies. For this purpose, our new patent application will present a more complete picture of the functional profile of Serpin activity, and we welcome inquiries for its use.”, states Swapan Roy, Ph.D., President and Founder of Biotech Support Group. 

About Biotech Support Group LLC

Converging with cultural and technological disruptions forthcoming in healthcare, Biotech Support Group develops methods for cost effective and efficient sample prep essential for these expanding markets. Following a tiered business strategy, the company continues its growth in the consumable research products area supporting the rapidly expanding installation of LC-MS instrument and computational infrastructure. For this market, key products include: AlbuVoid™ and AlbuSorb™ for albumin depletion, Cleanascite™ for lipid adsorption, HemogloBind™ and HemoVoid™ for hemoglobin removal, and NuGel™ for functional proteomics. From these innovations, the company has acquired knowledgebase and biomarker intellectual property assets that support discoveries of protein markers from blood, with special emphasis on personalized medical decisions for cancer and Covid-19 patients. For more information, go to http://www.biotechsupportgroup.com.

For Business Development, contact: Matthew Kuruc 732-274-2866, mkuruc@biotechsupportgroup.com