Monoclonal antibodies protect from Staphylococcal Enterotoxin K (SEK) induced toxic shock and sepsis by USA300 Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading infectious cause of life-threatening disease in humans, yet there is currently no vaccine to combat this bacterium. The pathogenesis of S. aureus is mediated by a diverse array of protein toxins including a large family of secreted pyrogenic superantigens. Neutralization of superantigens, including SEB and TSST-1, has proven to be protective in several animal models of toxic shock and sepsis. We demonstrate, for the first time, that a far more prevalent staphylococcal superantigen, SEK, can also induce lethal shock in mice. Additionally, we describe monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that inhibit SEK-induced mitogenicity as well as protect against SEK-induced lethality, and enhance survival from S. aureus septicemia in murine models. MAb-4G3 (IgG2b), mAb-5G2 (I

SUBMITTER: Aguilar JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5626247 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature