[Human recombinant antibodies to variola virus]

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Context:

• The variola virus (VV) is the causative agent of smallpox, a historically devastating infectious disease.
• Developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic tools against VV remains crucial due to its potential for bioterrorism.

Purpose:

• To select and characterize novel human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against live variola virus (VV).
• To evaluate the binding affinity of these scFv antibodies to various VV strains, including alastrim.

Summary:

• Fifteen human scFv antibodies were generated using a synthetic combinatorial phage display library against VV strains Ind-3a and Butler.
• Indirect solid-phase enzyme immunoassays confirmed the binding capabilities of these antibodies to multiple VV strains (Ind-3a, Butler, Brazil-131, Kuw-5, Congo-2).
• The study identified scFv antibodies that exhibited enhanced binding to alastrim strains compared to other VV strains, and their encoding nucleotide sequences were determined.

Impact:

• This research provides a valuable set of human antibodies for VV research and the development of diagnostic assays.
• The identified antibodies could serve as a basis for future antiviral therapies or detection methods for variola virus.
• Understanding antibody-virus interactions at a strain-specific level contributes to broader knowledge of poxvirus immunology.