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Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection
Published on: January 8, 2020
An engineered human antibody fab fragment specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa PcrV antigen has potent antibacterial
Mark Baer1, Teiji Sawa, Peter Flynn
1Kalobios Pharmaceuticals, Inc, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
Abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause acute lung injury and mortality through the delivery of exotoxins by the type III secretion system (TTSS). PcrV is an important structural protein of the TTSS. An engineered human antibody Fab fragment that binds to the P. aeruginosa PcrV protein with high affinity has been identified and has potent in vitro neutralization activity against the TTSS. The instillation of a single dose of Fab into the lungs of mice provided protection against lethal pulmonary challenge of P. aeruginosa and led to a substantial reduction of viable bacterial counts in the lungs. These results demonstrate that blocking of the TTSS by a Fab lacking antibody Fc-mediated effector functions can be sufficient for the effective clearance of pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection.
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