Optimizing a human monoclonal antibody for better neutralization of SARS-CoV-2.

Publication date: Jul 04, 2025

SARS-CoV-2 has largely evolved to resist antibody pressure, with each successive viral variant becoming more and more resistant to serum antibodies in the population. This evolution renders all previously authorized anti-spike therapeutic monoclonal antibodies inactive, and it threatens the remaining pipelines against COVID-19. We report herein the isolation of a human monoclonal antibody with a broad but incomplete SARS-CoV-2 neutralization profile, but structural analyses and mutational scanning lead to the engineering of variants that result in greater antibody flexibility while binding to the viral spike. Three such optimized monoclonal antibodies neutralize all SARS-CoV-2 strains tested with much improved potency and breadth, including against subvariants XEC and LP. 8.1. The findings of this study not only present antibody candidates for clinical development against COVID-19, but also introduce an engineering approach to improve antibody activity via increasing conformational flexibility.

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Concepts Keywords
Antibodies Animals
Inactive Antibodies, Monoclonal
Mutational Antibodies, Monoclonal
Pipelines Antibodies, Neutralizing
Therapeutic Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Antibodies, Viral
COVID-19
Humans
Mutation
Neutralization Tests
SARS-CoV-2
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Semantics

Type Source Name
drug DRUGBANK Tropicamide
disease MESH COVID-19
drug DRUGBANK Guanosine
disease MESH infection
disease MESH AIDS
disease MESH Infectious Diseases
disease MESH SD1
disease MESH breakthrough infection
disease IDO blood
disease IDO cell
drug DRUGBANK Amino acids
drug DRUGBANK L-Phenylalanine
drug DRUGBANK L-Leucine
disease IDO algorithm
drug DRUGBANK L-Alanine
drug DRUGBANK L-Arginine
disease IDO protein
drug DRUGBANK Nonoxynol-9
drug DRUGBANK Proline

Original Article

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