An efficient method to make human monoclonal antibodies from memory B cells: potent neutralization of SARS coronavirus.

ABSTRACT: Passive serotherapy can confer immediate protection against microbial infection, but methods to rapidly generate human neutralizing monoclonal antibodies are not yet available. We have developed an improved method for Epstein-Barr virus transformation of human B cells. We used this method to analyze the memory repertoire of a patient who recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection and to isolate monoclonal antibodies specific for different viral proteins, including 35 antibodies with in vitro neutralizing activity ranging from 10(-8)M to 10(-11)M. One such antibody confers protection in vivo in a mouse model of SARS-CoV infection. These results show that it is possible to interrogate the memory repertoire of immune donors to rapidly and efficiently iso

SUBMITTER: Traggiai E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7095806 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature