Exploring Human Antimicrobial Antibody Responses on a Single B Cell Level

Analysis of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) derived from single B cell cloning has been highly beneficial for antimicrobial immunotherapy, vaccine design, and advancing our understanding of pathogen-triggered effects on the human immunoglobulin repertoire. Sequencing of variable domains of single B cells, and characterization of binding and functional activities of MAbs derived from those sequences, provides in-depth insight not only into sites of susceptibility for antibody-mediated neutralization or opsonization of the pathogen but also into the dynamics of protective antibody evolution during infection. This information can be utilized to rapidly develop novel immunotherapies of completely human origin and provides a roadmap for structure-based vaccine design that aims to elicit similar protective antibody responses. Here, we summarize recent aspects of the single B cell cloning approach.