Exploring the potential usefulness of IgY for antiviral therapy: A current review.

ABSTRACT

Immunoglobulin yolk (IgY) is therapeutic antibodies presented in yolk eggs of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. These proteins produced by the immune system of the animal, are capable of neutralizing antigenic molecules, including viral antigens, fulfilling a role in the body defense. The specificity of these antibodies and the facility for their production, make these molecules capable of being used as tools for diagnosis and immunotherapy. Regarding this last aspect, it is common knowledge that the field of virology, is racing against time in the development of new drugs and vaccines to try to contain pandemics and local epidemics and, in counterproposal, avian antibodies are neutralizing molecules that can help in the control and spread of disease. These molecules have been explored for years and currently chicken eggs are produced in large quantities from the animal's immunization against a specific pathogen. Thus, on this subject, this review made a survey of these researches and presents a summary of all the successful cases and perspectives in the use of IgYs as tools for viral immunization.