A study conducted by researchers with the Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch (EIDB) of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) identified monoclonal antibodies targeting different areas of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that in combination provided broad neutralizing protection while preventing viral escape. Findings were published last week in Nature Immunology.
Using a mouse challenge model, EIDB scientists identified several potent neutralizing antibodies directed against either the N-terminal domain (NTD) or the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. One RBD monoclonal antibody (mAb), WRAIR-2125, demonstrated potent neutralizing activity against all major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, and, in combination with NTD and other RBD mAbs, WRAIR-2125 also prevented viral escape.
“Several widely circulating viral variants of concern have been able to evade neutralization by mAb therapies, so there’s urgent need for the development of broad therapeutic countermeasures,” said Dr. Shelly Krebs, Chief of B cell biology at WRAIR and senior author of the paper. “RBD and NTD mAbs offer enhanced protection by leveraging benefits specific to each class.”
Combined mAb formulations could offer broad protection therapeutically, or could be a valuable preventive tool against SARS-CoV-2 current and future variants, especially in immunocompromised populations or individuals who do not respond to vaccination.