Coronaviruses pandemics: Can neutralizing antibodies help?

Life Sci. 2020 Aug 15:255:117836. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117836. Epub 2020 May 22.

Abstract

For the first time in Homo sapiens history, possibly, most of human activities is stopped by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nearly eight billion people of this world are facing a great challenge, maybe not "to be or not to be" yet, but unpredictable. What happens to other major pandemics in the past, and how human beings went through these hurdles? The human body is equipped with the immune system that can recognize, respond and fight against pathogens such as viruses. Following the innate response, immune system processes the adaptive response by which each pathogen is encoded and recorded in memory system. The humoral reaction containing cytokines and antibodies is expected to activate when the pathogens come back. Exploiting this nature of body protection, neutralizing antibodies have been investigated. Learning from past, in parallel to SARS-CoV-2, other coronaviruses SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV who caused previous pandemics, are recalled in this review. We here propose insights of origin and characteristics and perspective for the future of antibodies development.

Keywords: Antibodies; COVID-19; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / therapeutic use*
  • Betacoronavirus / immunology*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / immunology
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / immunology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing