Antibodies to combat viral infections: development strategies and progress

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are appealing as potential therapeutics and prophylactics for viral infections owing to characteristics such as their high specificity and their ability to enhance immune responses. Furthermore, antibody engineering can be used to strengthen effector function and prolong mAb half-life, and advances in structural biology have enabled the selection and optimization of potent neutralizing mAbs through identification of vulnerable regions in viral proteins, which can also be relevant for vaccine design. The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated extensive efforts to develop neutralizing mAbs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with several mAbs now having…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
• CH
  Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois