Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) associated with Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) infections is the principal cause of acute renal injury in pediatric age groups. Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2) has in vitro cytotoxic effects on kidney cells, including human glomerular endothelial (HGEC) and Vero cells. Neither a licensed vaccine nor effective therapy for HUS is available for humans. Recombinant antibodies against Stx2, produced in bacteria, appeared as the utmost tool to prevent HUS. Therefore, in this work, a recombinant FabF8:Stx2 was selected from a human Fab antibody library by phage display, characterized, and analyzed for its ability to neutralize the Stx activity from different STEC-Stx2 and Stx1/Stx2 producing strains in a gold standard Vero cell assay, and the Stx2 cytotoxic effects on primary cultures of HGEC. This recombinant Fab showed a dissociation constant of 13.8 nM and a half maximum effective concentration (EC50) of 160 ng/mL to Stx2. Additionally, FabF8:Stx2 neutralized, in different percentages, the cytotoxic effects of Stx2 and Stx1/2 from different STEC strains on Vero cells. Moreover, it significantly prevented the deleterious effects of Stx2 in a dose-dependent manner (up to 83%) in HGEC and protected this cell up to 90% from apoptosis and necrosis. Therefore, this novel and simple anti-Stx2 biomolecule will allow further investigation as a new therapeutic option that could improve STEC and HUS patient outcomes.
Keywords: STEC; Stx2; antibody fragment; monoclonal antibody.