Chinese scientists identify human Zika virus antibodies

The harm of Zika virus to human health cannot be underestimated, and the development of effective vaccines and drugs is urgent. Scientists from the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have made an important breakthrough recently: They identified highly effective and specific Zika virus monoclonal antibodies from domestic Zika rehabilitation patients. The antibodies can effectively treat Zika virus infection in mouse models.

The research results were obtained by Yan Jinghua, a researcher in the Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiology and Metabolic Engineering of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and academician Gao Fu of the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology. They were published in the international academic journal Science Translational Medicine on the 14th.

According to Yan Jinghua, the research team used single-cell sequencing technology to take the lead in screening three fully human antibodies with high neutralizing activity from the first imported case in China. Animal experiments have shown that the antibody can completely protect mice from Zika virus infection, and further clarified the mechanism of action of these three antibodies. Among them, two strains of antibodies specifically blocked Zika virus infection, and there was no cross-reactivity to flaviviruses such as dengue fever. "Relevant preclinical research is ongoing, and the antibody has great potential for further development as a drug to prevent and treat Zika virus infection." Yan Jinghua said.

"The use of serum from SARS, H5N1 and other rehabilitation patients in the treatment of critically ill patients has achieved good clinical results, but this serum depends on the number of recoverers and cannot be used on a large scale." Said Gao Fu, antigen-specific immunoglobulin and Monoclonal antibodies play an important role in the emergency treatment of sudden infectious diseases. The B-cell single-cell sequencing technology established in this study can quickly isolate and identify antigen-specific neutralizing antibodies from B cells in rehabilitation patients, reaching a scale in a short time. Production, thereby providing a large number of effective emergency antibodies.

This human-sourced neutralizing antibody screening technology platform can also guide vaccine design and development. Gao Fu said that the establishment of this technology platform is of great significance to China's response to emerging emerging infectious diseases, and to safeguard national health and social stability.