Scientists Identify Antibody That may Help Treat, Prevent Influenza Outbreaks

A monoclonal antibody that is effective against "Avian" H5N1, seasonal H1N1 and the 2009 "Swine" H1N1 influenza has been identified by scientists.

Scientists at Sea Lane Biotechnologies, LLC, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, St. Jude Research Hospital and the Scripps Research Institute, have shown that this antibody potently prevents and treats the Swine H1N1 influenza in mouse models of the disease.

Previous work on this antibody, A06, demonstrated "first in class" activity against the evolutionarily distant Avian H5N1 and seasonal H1N1 influenzas.

The authors believe that the antibody targets a conserved region of the viral coat protein, hemagluttinin, accounting for the extended breadth of activity against multiple, genetically distinct strains.

In this study, the authors isolated A06 from a combinatorial library derived from a survivor of highly pathogenic H5N1 infection.

They demonstrate that the antibody is effective against 2009 pandemic influenza in a cell culture assay and also in mouse models of disease when given before and after lethal influenza infection.

Results are published July 8 in the open-access journal PloS Pathogens.

Source: ANI