Structure-guided antibody cocktail for prevention and treatment of COVID-19

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Oct 21;17(10):e1009704. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009704. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Development of effective therapeutics for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is a pressing global need. Neutralizing antibodies are known to be effective antivirals, as they can be rapidly deployed to prevent disease progression and can accelerate patient recovery without the need for fully developed host immunity. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a series of chimeric antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein. Some of these antibodies exhibit exceptionally potent neutralization activities in vitro and in vivo, and the most potent of our antibodies target three distinct non-overlapping epitopes within the RBD. Cryo-electron microscopy analyses of two highly potent antibodies in complex with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein suggested they may be particularly useful when combined in a cocktail therapy. The efficacy of this antibody cocktail was confirmed in SARS-CoV-2-infected mouse and hamster models as prophylactic and post-infection treatments. With the emergence of more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2, cocktail antibody therapies hold great promise to control disease and prevent drug resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / pharmacology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / pharmacology*
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • Cricetinae
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Male
  • Mice
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the funding supports from Academia Sinica- [AS-SUMMIT-109] of Summit Program to HCW, [AS-CFII-108-102] of IBMS P3 facility to YLL, and an Academia Sinica Career Development Award to STDH [AS-CDA-109-L08]. Academia Sinica Infectious Disease Research Supporting Grants (AS-IDR-110-10) to HCW and (AS-IDR-110-08) to STDH. The Ministry of Science and Technology to HCW [MOST-108-3114-Y-001-002], [MOST-108-2823-8-001-001], and [MOST 109-3114-Y-001-001]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.