Open AccessDelineation of putative mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated clearance of rabies virus from the central nervous system.
Author(s) -
Bernhard Dietzschold,
Moujahed Kao,
YunMin Zheng,
Zhen Yu Chen,
Gerd G. Maul,
Zheng Fang Fu,
Charles E. Rupprecht,
Hilary Koprowski
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.89.15.7252
Subject(s) - rabies virus , virology , virus , rhabdoviridae , biology , lyssavirus , rabies , monoclonal antibody , antibody , neutralizing antibody , neurotropic virus , mononegavirales , immunology , paramyxoviridae , viral disease
The in vitro biological activities of several rabies virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were compared with their ability to prevent a lethal rabies virus encephalomyelitis. The protective activity of a particular mAb in vivo did not correlate with its virus-neutralizing activity in vitro; rather it was related to the mAb's ability to inhibit virus spread from cell to cell and to restrict rabies virus RNA transcription. Since treatment of rabies virus-infected cells with virus-neutralizing mAbs results in an endocytosis of the antibody, we hypothesize that an antibody may exert its inhibitory activity even after uptake by the cell. Post-exposure treatment of rats with a mAb that inhibited both virus spread and virus RNA transcription in vitro resulted in viral clearance from the central nervous system and protected the animals against a lethal rabies virus infection.