Antiviral activity of UDA llectin against SARS-CoV-2

A group from Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Belgium, etc. has reported about antiviral activity of UDA against SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9468479/

UDA is one of the smallest plant lectins reported, and has a binding preference for GlcNAc and high-mannose sugars on target glycoproteins.

It was shown that UDA prevents viral replication of the early Wuhan-Hu-1 strain in Vero E6 cells (IC50 = 225 nM), but also the replication of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including Alpha, Beta and Gamma (IC50 ranging from 115 to 171 nM). In addition, UDA exerts antiviral activity against the latest circulating Delta and Omicron variant in U87.ACE2+ cells (IC50 values are 1.6 and 0.9 µM, respectively).

It was found that UDA is not acting as a direct receptor-attachment competitor, and its strongest interaction site is not located in the RBD from SPR analyses.