Rapid generation of a human monoclonal antibody to combat Middle East respiratory syndrome

Davide Corti*, Nadia Passini, Antonio Lanzavecchia, Maria Zambon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The last century has witnessed the emergence of several previously unknown viruses as life-threatening human pathogens. Several examples include HIV, Ebola, Lujo, and, most recently, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Ebola. In this study, we describe a method for the swift generation of a human-derived monoclonal antibody, known as LCA60, as a treatment for MERS infections. LCA60 antibody was generated using the Cellclone Technology from the immortalized B cells of a human donor recovering from MERS. Only four months were required from the initial screening of B cells to the development of a stable CHO cell line suitable for the production of clinical grade antibody, thereby delineating a rapid pathway for the development of antiviral therapies against emerging viruses. Currently, the LCA60 antibody is being considered for clinical development, which includes prophylaxis in individuals at risk and a treatment for severe MERS-CoV infections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)231-235
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Infection and Public Health
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.

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