Open AccessIsolation and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies Which Neutralize Human Metapneumovirus In Vitro and In Vivo
Author(s) -
Nancy D. Ulbrandt,
Hong Ji,
Nita Patel,
Jeffrey M. Riggs,
Yambasu A. Brewah,
Shan Ready,
Nanci E. Donacki,
Karyn Folliot,
Arnita Barnes,
Kannaki Senthil,
Susan Wilson,
Mingzhong Chen,
Lori Clarke,
Mia MacPhail,
Jia Li,
R. Claude Woods,
Kathy Coelingh,
Jennifer L. Reed,
Michael McCarthy,
David S. Pfarr,
Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus,
Ron A. M. Fouchier,
Peter A. Kiener,
JoAnn Suzich
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.00318-06
Subject(s) - human metapneumovirus , biology , virology , monoclonal antibody , metapneumovirus , bronchiolitis , paramyxoviridae , antibody , virus , respiratory tract infections , pneumovirinae , mononegavirales , immunology , viral disease , respiratory system , anatomy
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently described member of theParamyxoviridae family/Pneumovirinae subfamily andshares many common features with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV),another member of the same subfamily. hMPV causes respiratory tractillnesses that, similar to human RSV, occur predominantly during thewinter months and have symptoms that range from mild to severe cough,bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. Like RSV, the hMPV virus can besubdivided into two genetic subgroups, A and B. With RSV, a singlemonoclonal antibody directed at the fusion (F) protein can preventsevere lower respiratory tract RSV infection. Because of the high levelof sequence conservation of the F protein across all the hMPVsubgroups, this protein is likely to be the preferred antigenic targetfor the generation of cross-subgroup neutralizing antibodies. Here wedescribe the generation of a panel of neutralizing monoclonalantibodies that bind to the hMPV F protein. A subset of theseantibodies has the ability to neutralize prototypic strains of both theA and B hMPV subgroups in vitro. Two of these antibodies exhibitedhigh-affinity binding to the F protein and were shown to protecthamsters against infection with hMPV. The data suggest that amonoclonal antibody could be used prophylactically to prevent lowerrespiratory tract disease caused byhMPV.