The use of broadly neutralizing antibodies against the influenza viral surface glycoprotein haemagglutinin (HA) represents a promising therapeutic approach. In mice, Shen et al. implemented several immunization regimens to induce cross-reactive antibodies against highly conserved epitopes in the HA protein of influenza B. A functional screening strategy identified the highly potent antibody C12G6, which targeted the receptor binding site in the HA region and inhibited influenza B viruses via multiple mechanisms. In vitro, C12G6 neutralized all available influenza B viruses isolated since 1940. Furthermore, C12G6 exhibited broad prophylactic and therapeutic activity in mice and ferrets.
References
Shen, C. et al. A multimechanistic antibody targeting the receptor binding site potently cross-protects against influenza B viruses. Sci. Transl Med. 9, eaam5752 (2017)10.1126/scitranslmed.aam5752
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Crunkhorn, S. Fighting influenza B. Nat Rev Drug Discov 16, 828 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.234
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.234