Improved control of SARS-CoV-2 by treatment with a nucleocapsid-specific monoclonal antibody.
J Clin Invest
; 132(23)2022 Dec 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2064379
ABSTRACT
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is the main antigen in all approved COVID-19 vaccines and is also the only target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies. Immune responses to other viral antigens are generated after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their contribution to the antiviral response remains unclear. Here, we interrogated whether nucleocapsid-specific antibodies can improve protection against SARS-CoV-2. We first immunized mice with a nucleocapsid-based vaccine and then transferred sera from these mice into naive mice, followed by challenge with SARS-CoV-2. We show that mice that received nucleocapsid-specific sera or a nucleocapsid-specific mAb exhibited enhanced control of SARS-CoV-2. Nucleocapsid-specific antibodies elicited NK-mediated, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against infected cells. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first demonstration in the coronavirus literature that antibody responses specific to the nucleocapsid protein can improve viral clearance, providing a rationale for the clinical evaluation of nucleocapsid-based mAb therapies to treat COVID-19.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Nucleocapsid
/
COVID-19
/
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
JCI162282
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