West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flavivirus genus, can
cause severe neurological disease, long-term morbidity, and death. In the last
decade, nearly 30,000 cases of severe WNV infection have been diagnosed in the
U.S. Historically, there has been a lack of effective and specific antiviral
treatment for flavivirus infection; current treatment for WNV is supportive and
no vaccine or therapeutic agent has been approved for human use. A promising
humanized murine Mab (monoclonal antibody) mHu-E16 therapeutic candidate is in
Phase II clinical trials, but since it does not cross the blood-brain barrier
(BBB), it has a limited window of efficacy.
Researchers at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State
University have built upon their earlier success (AzTE Case # M10-092)
developing a plant-derived Hu-E16 antibody that has inhibitory activity
indistinguishable from mammalian cell-produced mHu-E16. This new innovation is a
bifunctional form of Hu-E16 that additionally binds receptors of endothelial
cells of the BBB, allowing this antibody to rapidly penetrate the CNS and
accumulate in concentrations sufficient for neutralizing the infecting WNV.
This plant-derived Mab has the potential to provide greater
efficacy and an enhanced treatment window compared to mammalian cell-produced
versions, while being less expensive to produce and more scalable to industrial
production.
Potential Applications
- therapeutic for West Nile virus infection
- possible prophylactic vaccine for West Nile virus
Benefits and Advantages
- readily crosses the blood-brain barrier for improved CNS
penetration and better treatment efficacy
- extended treatment window
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Lai's directory webpage
Dr. Chen's directory webpage
