Antibody responses to viruses

Division Of Basic Sciences - Nci

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

This research was primarily carried out by the cooperating laboratories. Through the use of single-cell BCR cloning and other techniques, antibody responses were characterized in patients with a history of SARS-CoV2 infection, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection / vaccination, as well as in animals infected with the simian immunodeficiency HIV chimeric virus (SHIV). One study found that SHIV-infected macaques develop a type of broadly-neutralizing antibodies resembling those found in humans, although some differences were also identified and characterized. In another study, the antibody response to SARS-CoV2 was assessed in patients that recovered from SARS-CoV2 infection. One patient showing the highest serum IgG neutralizing ability was selected to further characterize the response and to clone monoclonal antibodies. This work identified several distinct epitopes on the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV2 spike protein that are targeted by the identified monoclonal antibodies. Interestingly, the epitope type was associated with antibody features such as neutralizing ability and antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection. One especially potent and cross-neutralizing antibody without ADE was identified in that study and is under further investigation. Collectively, these studies improve our understanding of human antibody responses to different viruses.