Inquiry

The Role of Antibodies in the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Diseases

The Role of Antibodies

Antibodies are a natural response for neutralizing viruses by either blocking the interaction between the virus and cell host or representing the viral antigens on the cell host to effector cells killing antibody-coated target cells. Antibodies perform important functions of killing infected cells in antiviral immunity including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). In addition, it has been proposed that antibodies play additional roles in regulating cell-mediated immunity and inflammatory responses.

Mechanisms of action of therapeutic antibodies. Fig.1 Mechanisms of action of therapeutic antibodies. (Suzuki, 2015)

The Application of Antibodies in Viral Diseases

With technological advances in the field of immunoglobulin G (IgG) research and generally good safety, therapeutic antibodies have become attractive candidates for treating viral diseases.

  • Hepatitis Virus Infections
  • Immune globulin provides protection against hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. Polyclonal antibodies of hyperimmune human IgG preparations are used for HBV infection. FDA researchers developed monoclonal antibodies against HCV that can neutralize different genotypes of HCV.

  • Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers.
  • Human monoclonal antibodies may hold greater promise than immune globulin preparations prepared in the past. The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a good example of the potential of mAb cocktails as an anti-infective strategy.

  • Mucosal Passive Immunization
  • Application of antibodies to respiratory mucosal surfaces has been evaluated in limited numbers of patients, for the prevention of several common respiratory tract viral infections including Coxsackie, influenza, rhinovirus, and RSV. Oral administration of antibodies has been studied for the prevention or treatment of rotavirus infection.

  • Measles, Mumps, or Rubella
  • Immune globulin is recommended for susceptible household contacts of measles patients, particularly those for whom the risk for complications is increased. Immune globulin is not recommended for routine prophylaxis following rubella or mumps exposures.

Clinical Antibody Drug

There are few approved therapeutic mAbs for viral infections. The first antiviral mAb approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is palivizumab, a humanized IgG1 antibody that confers respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis in high-risk infants. Ibalizumab approved FDA is a non-immunosuppressive humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that binds CD4, the primary receptor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and inhibits HIV from entering cells. More therapeutic mAbs are tested in the clinical phases. Although several whole mAbs have been approved or are in clinical phases, the use of antibody fragments against viral infections has not yet been approved or entered the clinic. Other polyclonal antibody products licensed include human immune globulin, cytomegalovirus immune globulin, hepatitis B immune globulin, rabies immune globulin, vaccinia immune globulin, varicella-zoster immune globulin, etc.

Creative Biolabs offers the latest and comprehensive ViroAntibody custom services for many years to accelerate life science research and development. Our one-stop ViroAntibody platform makes it easy to find thousands of products with reliability and high quality.

For a general overview of our variety of antibodies of a wide range of virus types, click here.

If none of these products fit your requirements, we offer fully ViroAntibody discovery, engineering, customized services.

If you are interested in our services and antibodies, please feel free to contact us for further information.

Reference

  1. Suzuki, M.; et al. Therapeutic antibodies: their mechanisms of action and the pathological findings they induce in toxicity studies. Journal of toxicologic pathology. 2015, 28(3): 133-139.

All products and services are intended for Research Use Only, and NOT to be used in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Inquiry Basket