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Tamir H, Noy-Porat T, Melamed S, Cherry-Mimran L, Barlev-Gross M, Alcalay R, Yahalom-Ronen Y, Achdout H, Politi B, Erez N, Weiss S, Rosenfeld R, Epstein E, Mazor O, Makdasi E, Paran N, Israely T. Synergistic effect of two human-like monoclonal antibodies confers protection against orthopoxvirus infection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3265. [PMID: 38627363 PMCID: PMC11021552 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47328-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The eradication of smallpox was officially declared by the WHO in 1980, leading to discontinuation of the vaccination campaign against the virus. Consequently, immunity against smallpox and related orthopoxviruses like Monkeypox virus gradually declines, highlighting the need for efficient countermeasures not only for the prevention, but also for the treatment of already exposed individuals. We have recently developed human-like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from vaccinia virus-immunized non-human primates. Two mAbs, MV33 and EV42, targeting the two infectious forms of the virus, were selected for in vivo evaluation, based on their in vitro neutralization potency. A single dose of either MV33 or EV42 administered three days post-infection (dpi) to BALB/c female mice provides full protection against lethal ectromelia virus challenge. Importantly, a combination of both mAbs confers full protection even when provided five dpi. Whole-body bioimaging and viral load analysis reveal that combination of the two mAbs allows for faster and more efficient clearance of the virus from target organs compared to either MV33 or EV42 separately. The combined mAbs treatment further confers post-exposure protection against the currently circulating Monkeypox virus in Cast/EiJ female mice, highlighting their therapeutic potential against other orthopoxviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadas Tamir
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Melamed
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | | | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Hagit Achdout
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Boaz Politi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Noam Erez
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Nir Paran
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tomer Israely
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel.
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2
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Noy-Porat T, Tamir H, Alcalay R, Rosenfeld R, Epstein E, Cherry L, Achdout H, Erez N, Politi B, Yahalom-Ronen Y, Weiss S, Melamed S, Israely T, Mazor O, Paran N, Makdasi E. Generation of recombinant mAbs to vaccinia virus displaying high affinity and potent neutralization. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0159823. [PMID: 37737634 PMCID: PMC10581037 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01598-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Orthopoxvirus genus can cause severe infections in humans. Global vaccination against smallpox, caused by the variola virus, resulted in the eradication of the disease in 1980. Shortly thereafter, vaccination was discontinued, and as a result, a large proportion of the current population is not protected against orthopoxviruses. The concerns that the variola virus or other engineered forms of poxviruses may re-emerge as bioweapons and the sporadic outbreaks of zoonotic members of the family, such as Mpox, which are becoming more frequent and prevalent, also emphasize the need for an effective treatment against orthopoxviruses. To date, the most effective way to prevent or control an orthopoxvirus outbreak is through vaccination. However, the traditional vaccinia-based vaccine may cause severe side effects. Vaccinia immune globulin was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of vaccine adverse reactions and was also used occasionally for the treatment of severe orthopoxvirus infections. However, this treatment carries many disadvantages and is also in short supply. Thus, a recombinant alternative is highly needed. In this study, two non-human primates were immunized with live vaccinia virus, producing a robust and diverse antibody response. A phage-display library was constructed based on the animal's lymphatic organs, and a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), recognizing diverse proteins of the vaccinia virus, was selected and characterized. These antibodies recognized both mature virion and enveloped virion forms of the virus and exhibited high affinity and potent in vitro neutralization capabilities. Furthermore, these monoclonal antibodies were able to neutralize Mpox 2018 and 2022 strains, suggesting a potential for cross-species protection. We suggest that a combination of these mAbs has the potential to serve as recombinant therapy both for vaccinia vaccine adverse reactions and for orthopoxvirus infections. IMPORTANCE In this manuscript, we report the isolation and characterization of several recombinant neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) identified by screening a phage-display library constructed from lymphatic cells collected from immunized non-human primates. The antibodies target several different antigens of the vaccinia virus, covering both mature virion and extracellular enveloped virion forms of the virus. We document strong evidence indicating that they exhibit excellent affinity to their respective antigens and, most importantly, optimal in vitro neutralization of the virus, which exceeded that of vaccinia immune globulin. Furthermore, we present the ability of these novel isolated mAbs (as well as the sera collected from vaccinia-immunized animals) to neutralize two Mpox strains from the 2018 to 2022 outbreaks. We believe that these antibodies have the potential to be used for the treatment of vaccinia vaccine adverse reactions, for other orthopoxvirus infections, and in cases of unexpected bioterror scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hadas Tamir
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Cherry
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hagit Achdout
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Noam Erez
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Boaz Politi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Shay Weiss
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Melamed
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tomer Israely
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Nir Paran
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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3
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Rosenfeld R, Alcalay R, Zvi A, Ben-David A, Noy-Porat T, Chitlaru T, Epstein E, Israeli O, Lazar S, Caspi N, Barnea A, Dor E, Chomsky I, Pitel S, Makdasi E, Zichel R, Mazor O. Centaur antibodies: Engineered chimeric equine-human recombinant antibodies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:942317. [PMID: 36059507 PMCID: PMC9437483 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.942317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyper-immune antisera from large mammals, in particular horses, are routinely used for life-saving anti-intoxication intervention. While highly efficient, the use of these immunotherapeutics is complicated by possible recipient reactogenicity and limited availability. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for alternative improved next-generation immunotherapies to respond to this issue of high public health priority. Here, we document the development of previously unavailable tools for equine antibody engineering. A novel primer set, EquPD v2020, based on equine V-gene data, was designed for efficient and accurate amplification of rearranged horse antibody V-segments. The primer set served for generation of immune phage display libraries, representing highly diverse V-gene repertoires of horses immunized against botulinum A or B neurotoxins. Highly specific scFv clones were selected and expressed as full-length antibodies, carrying equine V-genes and human Gamma1/Lambda constant genes, to be referred as “Centaur antibodies”. Preliminary assessment in a murine model of botulism established their therapeutic potential. The experimental approach detailed in the current report, represents a valuable tool for isolation and engineering of therapeutic equine antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
- *Correspondence: Ronit Rosenfeld, ; Ohad Mazor,
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben-David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Noa Caspi
- Veterinary Center for Preclinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Inbar Chomsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shani Pitel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
- *Correspondence: Ronit Rosenfeld, ; Ohad Mazor,
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4
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Abstract
This protocol describes the use of a biolayer interferometry platform for assessing antibody-antigen interactions. The protocol focuses on affinity determination and epitope binning, although the system can be utilized for measuring any protein-protein interaction. Readings are collected in real time, allowing the use of unlabeled molecules, and data can thus be obtained in a fast and easy manner. Experiments should be carefully designed, taking into consideration the tested interaction, available sensors, and suitable controls. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Noy-Porat et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Eldar Peretz
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
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5
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Noy-Porat T, Edri A, Alcalay R, Makdasi E, Gur D, Aftalion M, Evgy Y, Beth-Din A, Levy Y, Epstein E, Radinsky O, Zauberman A, Lazar S, Yitzhaki S, Marcus H, Porgador A, Rosenfeld R, Mazor O. Fc-Independent Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Recombinant Human Monoclonal Antibodies. Antibodies (Basel) 2021; 10:antib10040045. [PMID: 34842604 PMCID: PMC8628512 DOI: 10.3390/antib10040045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of passively-administered neutralizing antibodies is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antibody-mediated protection may involve immune system recruitment through Fc-dependent activation of effector cells and the complement system. However, the role of Fc-mediated functions in the efficacious in-vivo neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet clear, and it is of high importance to delineate the role this process plays in antibody-mediated protection. Toward this aim, we have chosen two highly potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies, MD65 and BLN1 that target distinct domains of the spike (RBD and NTD, respectively). The Fc of these antibodies was engineered to include the triple mutation N297G/S298G/T299A that eliminates glycosylation and the binding to FcγR and to the complement system activator C1q. As expected, the virus neutralization activity (in-vitro) of the engineered antibodies was retained. To study the role of Fc-mediated functions, the protective activity of these antibodies was tested against lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, when treatment was initiated either before or two days post-exposure. Antibody treatment with both Fc-variants similarly rescued the mice from death reduced viral load and prevented signs of morbidity. Taken together, this work provides important insight regarding the contribution of Fc-effector functions in MD65 and BLN1 antibody-mediated protection, which should aid in the future design of effective antibody-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Avishay Edri
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - David Gur
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Yinon Levy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Olga Radinsky
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ayelet Zauberman
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Hadar Marcus
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Angel Porgador
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.R.); (O.M.)
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.R.); (O.M.)
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6
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Fisher M, Levy H, Fatelevich E, Afrimov Y, Ben-Shmuel A, Rosenfeld R, Noy-Porat T, Glinert I, Sittner A, Biber A, Belkin A, Bar-David E, Puni R, Levy I, Mazor O, Weiss S, Mechaly A. A Serological Snapshot of COVID-19 Initial Stages in Israel by a 6-Plex Antigen Array. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0087021. [PMID: 34612689 PMCID: PMC8510178 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00870-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The first case of SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in Israel in late February 2020. Three major outbreaks followed, resulting in over 800,000 cases and over 6,000 deaths by April 2021. Our aim was characterization of a serological snapshot of Israeli patients and healthy adults in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sera from 55 symptomatic COVID-19 patients and 146 healthy subjects (early-pandemic, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR [qRT-PCR]-negative), collected in Israel between March and April 2020, were screened for SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies, using a 6-plex antigen microarray presenting the whole inactivated virus and five viral antigens: a stabilized version of the spike ectodomain (S2P), spike subunit 1 (S1), receptor-binding-domain (RBD), N-terminal-domain (NTD), and nucleocapsid (NC). COVID-19 patients, 4 to 40 days post symptom onset, presented specific IgG to all of the viral antigens (6/6) in 54 of the 55 samples (98% sensitivity). Specific IgM and IgA antibodies for all six antigens were detected in only 10% (5/55) and 4% (2/55) of the patients, respectively, suggesting that specific IgG is a superior serological marker for COVID-19. None of the qRT-PCR-negative sera reacted with all six viral antigens (100% specificity), and 48% (70/146) were negative throughout the panel. Our findings confirm a low seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Israeli adult population prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. We further suggest that the presence of low-level cross-reacting antibodies in naive individuals calls for a combined, multiantigen analysis for accurate discrimination between naive and exposed individuals. IMPORTANCE A 6-plex protein array presenting the whole inactivated virus and five nucleocapsid and spike-derived SARS-CoV-2 antigens was used to generate a serological snapshot of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and seroconversion in Israel in the early months of the pandemic. Our findings confirm a very low seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Israeli adult population. We further propose that the presence of low-level nonspecific antibodies in naive individuals calls for a combined, multiantigen analysis for accurate discrimination between naive and exposed individuals enabling accurate determination of seroconversion. The developed assay is currently applied to evaluate immune responses to the Israeli vaccine during human phase I/II trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morly Fisher
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Haim Levy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ella Fatelevich
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yafa Afrimov
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Itai Glinert
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Assa Sittner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Asaf Biber
- Sheba Medical Center and the Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Ana Belkin
- Sheba Medical Center and the Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Elad Bar-David
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Reut Puni
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Itzchak Levy
- Sheba Medical Center and the Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
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7
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Makdasi E, Zvi A, Alcalay R, Noy-Porat T, Peretz E, Mechaly A, Levy Y, Epstein E, Chitlaru T, Tennenhouse A, Aftalion M, Gur D, Paran N, Tamir H, Zimhony O, Weiss S, Mandelboim M, Mendelson E, Zuckerman N, Nemet I, Kliker L, Yitzhaki S, Shapira SC, Israely T, Fleishman SJ, Mazor O, Rosenfeld R. The neutralization potency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies is retained against viral variants. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109679. [PMID: 34464610 PMCID: PMC8379094 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide range of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been reported, most of which target the spike glycoprotein. Therapeutic implementation of these antibodies has been challenged by emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring mutated spike versions. Consequently, re-assessment of previously identified mAbs is of high priority. Four previously selected mAbs targeting non-overlapping epitopes are now evaluated for binding potency to mutated RBD versions, reported to mediate escape from antibody neutralization. In vitro neutralization potencies of these mAbs, and two NTD-specific mAbs, are evaluated against two frequent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, the B.1.1.7 Alpha and the B.1.351 Beta. Furthermore, we demonstrate therapeutic potential of three selected mAbs by treatment of K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic mice 2 days post-infection with each virus variant. Thus, despite the accumulation of spike mutations, the highly potent MD65 and BL6 mAbs retain their ability to bind the prevalent viral mutants, effectively protecting against B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Eldar Peretz
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Yinon Levy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ariel Tennenhouse
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7600001, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - David Gur
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Nir Paran
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Hadas Tamir
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Oren Zimhony
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel, affiliated to the School of Medicine, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Michal Mandelboim
- The Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ella Mendelson
- The Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Neta Zuckerman
- The Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ital Nemet
- The Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Limor Kliker
- The Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Shmuel C Shapira
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Tomer Israely
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Sarel J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7600001, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7410001, Israel.
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8
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Barlev-Gross M, Weiss S, Paran N, Yahalom-Ronen Y, Israeli O, Nemet I, Kliker L, Zuckerman N, Glinert I, Noy-Porat T, Alcalay R, Rosenfeld R, Levy H, Mazor O, Mandelboim M, Mendelson E, Beth-Din A, Israely T, Mechaly A. Sensitive Immunodetection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants of Concern 501Y.V2 and 501Y.V1. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:616-619. [PMID: 34398244 PMCID: PMC8194863 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants may influence the effectiveness of existing laboratory diagnostics. In the current study we determined whether the British (20I/501Y.V1) and South African (20H/501Y.V2) SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern are detected with an in-house S1-based antigen detection assay, analyzing spiked pools of quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-negative nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The assay, combining 4 monoclonal antibodies, allowed sensitive detection of both the wild type and the variants of concern, despite accumulation of several mutations in the variants' S1 region-results suggesting that this combination, targeting distinct epitopes, enables both specificity and the universality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria Barlev-Gross
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Nir Paran
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Yfat Yahalom-Ronen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Ital Nemet
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan,Israel
| | - Limor Kliker
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan,Israel
| | - Neta Zuckerman
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan,Israel
| | - Itai Glinert
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Haim Levy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Michal Mandelboim
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan,Israel.,Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv,Israel
| | - Ella Mendelson
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan,Israel.,Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv,Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Tomer Israely
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona,Israel
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9
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Noy-Porat T, Mechaly A, Levy Y, Makdasi E, Alcalay R, Gur D, Aftalion M, Falach R, Leviatan Ben-Arye S, Lazar S, Zauberman A, Epstein E, Chitlaru T, Weiss S, Achdout H, Edgeworth JD, Kikkeri R, Yu H, Chen X, Yitzhaki S, Shapira SC, Padler-Karavani V, Mazor O, Rosenfeld R. Therapeutic antibodies, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike N-terminal domain, protect lethally infected K18-hACE2 mice. iScience 2021; 24:102479. [PMID: 33937725 PMCID: PMC8074524 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies represent a valuable therapeutic approach to countermeasure the current COVID-19 pandemic. Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants emphasizes the notion that antibody treatments need to rely on highly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), targeting several distinct epitopes for circumventing therapy escape mutants. Previously, we reported efficient human therapeutic mAbs recognizing epitopes on the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Here we report the isolation, characterization, and recombinant production of 12 neutralizing human mAbs, targeting three distinct epitopes on the spike N-terminal domain of the virus. Neutralization mechanism of these antibodies involves receptors other than the canonical hACE2 on target cells, relying both on amino acid and N-glycan epitope recognition, suggesting alternative viral cellular portals. Two selected mAbs demonstrated full protection of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice when administered at low doses and late post-exposure, demonstrating the high potential of the mAbs for therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Isolation of potent neutralizing antibodies, targeting the NTD of SARS-CoV-2 Involvement of both protein and glycan moieties in antibody binding was suggested Post-exposure protection of lethally infected K18-hACE2 mice by BLN12 and BLN14
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yinon Levy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - David Gur
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Reut Falach
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shani Leviatan Ben-Arye
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Shay Weiss
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Hagit Achdout
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Jonathan D. Edgeworth
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Raghavendra Kikkeri
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Hai Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Vered Padler-Karavani
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
- Corresponding author
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10
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Makdasi E, Levy Y, Alcalay R, Noy-Porat T, Zahavy E, Mechaly A, Epstein E, Peretz E, Cohen H, Bar-On L, Chitlaru T, Cohen O, Glinert I, Achdout H, Israely T, Rosenfeld R, Mazor O. Neutralizing Monoclonal Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Isolated from Immunized Rabbits Define Novel Vulnerable Spike-Protein Epitope. Viruses 2021; 13:566. [PMID: 33810465 PMCID: PMC8065470 DOI: 10.3390/v13040566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies represent an important avenue for COVID-19 therapy and are routinely used for rapid and accessible diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants emphasized the need to enlarge the repertoire of antibodies that target diverse epitopes, the combination of which may improve immune-diagnostics, augment the efficiency of the immunotherapy and prevent selection of escape-mutants. Antigen-specific controlled immunization of experimental animals may elicit antibody repertoires that significantly differ from those generated in the context of the immune response mounted in the course of disease. Accordingly, rabbits were immunized by several recombinant antigens representing distinct domains of the viral spike protein and monoclonal antibodies were isolated from single cells obtained by cell sorting. Characterization of a panel of successfully isolated anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) and anti-N-terminal domain (NTD) antibodies demonstrated that they exhibit high specificity and affinity profiles. Anti-RBD antibodies revealing significant neutralizing potency against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro were found to target at least three distinct epitopes. Epitope mapping established that two of these antibodies recognized a novel epitope located on the surface of the RBD. We suggest that the antibodies isolated in this study are useful for designing SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and therapy approaches.
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11
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Barlev-Gross M, Weiss S, Ben-Shmuel A, Sittner A, Eden K, Mazuz N, Glinert I, Bar-David E, Puni R, Amit S, Kriger O, Schuster O, Alcalay R, Makdasi E, Epstein E, Noy-Porat T, Rosenfeld R, Achdout H, Mazor O, Israely T, Levy H, Mechaly A. Spike vs nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection: application in nasopharyngeal swab specimens. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 413:3501-3510. [PMID: 33768365 PMCID: PMC7993413 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03298-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Public health experts emphasize the need for quick, point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 detection as an effective strategy for controlling virus spread. To this end, many “antigen” detection devices were developed and commercialized. These devices are mostly based on detecting SARS-CoV-2’s nucleocapsid protein. Recently, alerts issued by both the FDA and the CDC raised concerns regarding the devices’ tendency to exhibit false positive results. In this work, we developed a novel alternative spike-based antigen assay, comprising four high-affinity, specific monoclonal antibodies, directed against different epitopes on the spike’s S1 subunit. The assay’s performance was evaluated for COVID-19 detection from nasopharyngeal swabs, compared to an in-house nucleocapsid-based assay, composed of novel antibodies directed against the nucleocapsid. Detection of COVID-19 was carried out in a cohort of 284 qRT-PCR positive and negative nasopharyngeal swab samples. The time resolved fluorescence (TRF) ELISA spike assay displayed very high specificity (99%) accompanied with a somewhat lower sensitivity (66% for Ct < 25), compared to the nucleocapsid ELISA assay which was more sensitive (85% for Ct < 25) while less specific (87% specificity). Despite being outperformed by qRT-PCR, we suggest that there is room for such tests in the clinical setting, as cheap and rapid pre-screening tools. Our results further suggest that when applying antigen detection, one must consider its intended application (sensitivity vs specificity), taking into consideration that the nucleocapsid might not be the optimal target. In this regard, we propose that a combination of both antigens might contribute to the validity of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria Barlev-Gross
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Assa Sittner
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Keren Eden
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Noam Mazuz
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Itai Glinert
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Elad Bar-David
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Reut Puni
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Amit
- Clinical Microbiology, Sheba Medical Centre, 52621, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Or Kriger
- Clinical Microbiology, Sheba Medical Centre, 52621, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ofir Schuster
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- The Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hagit Achdout
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tomer Israely
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Haim Levy
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 7410001, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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12
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Rosenfeld R, Noy-Porat T, Mechaly A, Makdasi E, Levy Y, Alcalay R, Falach R, Aftalion M, Epstein E, Gur D, Chitlaru T, Vitner EB, Melamed S, Politi B, Zauberman A, Lazar S, Beth-Din A, Evgy Y, Yitzhaki S, Shapira SC, Israely T, Mazor O. Post-exposure protection of SARS-CoV-2 lethal infected K18-hACE2 transgenic mice by neutralizing human monoclonal antibody. Nat Commun 2021; 12:944. [PMID: 33574228 PMCID: PMC7878817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21239-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), exhibits high levels of mortality and morbidity and has dramatic consequences on human life, sociality and global economy. Neutralizing antibodies constitute a highly promising approach for treating and preventing infection by this novel pathogen. In the present study, we characterize and further evaluate the recently identified human monoclonal MD65 antibody for its ability to provide protection against a lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. Eighty percent of the untreated mice succumbed 6-9 days post-infection, while administration of the MD65 antibody as late as 3 days after exposure rescued all infected animals. In addition, the efficiency of the treatment is supported by prevention of morbidity and ablation of the load of infective virions in the lungs of treated animals. The data demonstrate the therapeutic value of human monoclonal antibodies as a life-saving treatment for severe COVID-19 infection.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/genetics
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Viral/genetics
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- COVID-19/immunology
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Female
- Immunoglobulin G/administration & dosage
- Immunoglobulin G/genetics
- Immunoglobulin G/immunology
- Lung/pathology
- Lung/virology
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- SARS-CoV-2/classification
- SARS-CoV-2/physiology
- Seroconversion
- Vero Cells
- Viral Load
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yinon Levy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Reut Falach
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - David Gur
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Einat B Vitner
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Melamed
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Boaz Politi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Shirley Lazar
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Tomer Israely
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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13
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Mechaly A, Alcalay R, Noy-Porat T, Epstein E, Gal Y, Mazor O. Novel Phage Display-Derived Anti-Abrin Antibodies Confer Post-Exposure Protection against Abrin Intoxication. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10020080. [PMID: 29438273 PMCID: PMC5848181 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10020080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abrin toxin is a type 2 ribosome inactivating glycoprotein isolated from the seeds of Abrus precatorius (jequirity pea). Owing to its high toxicity, relative ease of purification and accessibility, it is considered a biological threat agent. To date, there is no effective post-exposure treatment for abrin poisoning and passive immunization remains the most effective therapy. However, the effectiveness of anti-abrin monoclonal antibodies for post-exposure therapy following abrin intoxication has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to isolate high affinity anti-abrin antibodies that possess potent toxin-neutralization capabilities. An immune scFv phage-display library was constructed from an abrin-immunized rabbit and a panel of antibodies (six directed against the A subunit of abrin and four against the B subunit) was isolated and expressed as scFv-Fc antibodies. By pair-wise analysis, we found that these antibodies target five distinct epitopes on the surface of abrin and that antibodies against all these sites can bind the toxin simultaneously. Several of these antibodies (namely, RB9, RB10, RB28 and RB30) conferred high protection against pulmonary intoxication of mice, when administered six hours post exposure to a lethal dose of abrin. The data presented in this study demonstrate for the first time the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies in treatment of mice after pulmonary intoxication with abrin and promote the use of these antibodies, one or several, for post-exposure treatment of abrin intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adva Mechaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel;
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.A.); (T.N.-P.); (Y.G.)
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.A.); (T.N.-P.); (Y.G.)
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel;
| | - Yoav Gal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.A.); (T.N.-P.); (Y.G.)
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-8-938-5862; Fax: +972-8-938-1544
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14
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Noy-Porat T, Alcalay R, Epstein E, Sabo T, Kronman C, Mazor O. Extended therapeutic window for post-exposure treatment of ricin intoxication conferred by the use of high-affinity antibodies. Toxicon 2017; 127:100-105. [PMID: 28089771 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The plant toxin ricin is considered a potential bioterror agent against which there is no available antidote. To date, neutralizing antibodies are the most promising post-exposure treatment for ricin intoxication, yet so far they were shown to be effective only when given within several hours post exposure. As part of an ongoing effort to develop efficient ricin-countermeasures, we tested whether high-affinity antibodies that were previously isolated from immunized non-human primates, may confer effective post-exposure therapy for ricin-intoxicated mice treated at late time-points after exposure. While each antibody is capable of providing high protection rate by itself, a formulation consisting of three neutralizing antibodies that target different epitopes was tested to provide therapeutic coverage against different variants of the malicious pathogen. Indeed, the tri-antibody based cocktail was highly effective, its administration resulting in very high survival rates (>70%) when animals were treated as late as 48 h post exposure and significant protection (>30%) even at 72 h. This study establishes for the first time that anti-ricin antibodies can serve as a highly effective antidote at such late time-points after exposure. From the clinical point of view, the extended therapeutic window documented here is of high importance allowing adequate time to accurately identify the causative agent and may permit initiation of life-saving treatment with these antibodies even after the onset of clinical signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tamar Sabo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Chanoch Kronman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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15
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Noy-Porat T, Rosenfeld R, Ariel N, Epstein E, Alcalay R, Zvi A, Kronman C, Ordentlich A, Mazor O. Isolation of Anti-Ricin Protective Antibodies Exhibiting High Affinity from Immunized Non-Human Primates. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8030064. [PMID: 26950154 PMCID: PMC4810209 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8030064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ricin, derived from the castor bean plant Ricinus communis, is one of the most potent and lethal toxins known, against which there is no available antidote. To date, the use of neutralizing antibodies is the most promising post-exposure treatment for ricin intoxication. The aim of this study was to isolate high affinity anti-ricin antibodies that possess potent toxin-neutralization capabilities. Two non-human primates were immunized with either a ricin-holotoxin- or subunit-based vaccine, to ensure the elicitation of diverse high affinity antibodies. By using a comprehensive set of primers, immune scFv phage-displayed libraries were constructed and panned. A panel of 10 antibodies (five directed against the A subunit of ricin and five against the B subunit) was isolated and reformatted into a full-length chimeric IgG. All of these antibodies were found to neutralize ricin in vitro, and several conferred full protection to ricin-intoxicated mice when given six hours after exposure. Six antibodies were found to possess exceptionally high affinity toward the toxin, with KD values below pM (koff < 1 × 10−7 s−1) that were well correlated with their ability to neutralize ricin. These antibodies, alone or in combination, could be used for the development of a highly-effective therapeutic preparation for post-exposure treatment of ricin intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Naomi Ariel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Chanoch Kronman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Arie Ordentlich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel.
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Noy-Porat T, Cohen O, Ehrlich S, Epstein E, Alcalay R, Mazor O. Acetylcholinesterase-Fc Fusion Protein (AChE-Fc): A Novel Potential Organophosphate Bioscavenger with Extended Plasma Half-Life. Bioconjug Chem 2015; 26:1753-8. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofer Cohen
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Ehrlich
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Departments
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and ‡Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
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17
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Noy-Porat T, Cohen D, Mathew D, Eshel A, Kamenetsky R, Flaishman MA. Turned on by heat: differential expression of FT and LFY-like genes in Narcissus tazetta during floral transition. J Exp Bot 2013; 64:3273-84. [PMID: 23833196 PMCID: PMC3733150 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In Narcissus tazetta, a monocotyledonous bulbous geophyte, floral initiation and differentiation occur within the bulb during the quiescent period in summer, when ambient temperatures are relatively high and the bulb is located underground with no foliage or roots. In many plant species, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and its homologues are considered powerful promoters of flowering. The Narcissus FT gene homologue (NtFT) was isolated, and organ-specific expression patterns of NtFT during the annual cycle and reproductive development under different temperature regimes were analysed using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and RNA in situ hybridization. During floral induction, NtFT was not expressed in bulb scales, roots, or foliage leaves, but it was detected inside the bulb in the apical meristem and leaf primordia. The expression of another key flowering gene, NLF, the LEAFY homologue in N. tazetta, was also observed only in meristem and leaf primordia within the bulbs; however, its expression did not coincide with that of NtFT during meristem transition to reproductive stage. Under high temperatures (25-30 °C) in the dark, NtFT expression occurred simultaneously with floral induction timing, indicating that floral induction is affected by high temperatures but not by photoperiod or vernalization. Monitoring the apical meristem of Narcissus in February-August of two growing seasons under ambient and controlled storage conditions showed that transition to flowering is temperature dependent and varies between years. Lack of NtFT and NLF expression in foliage leaves suggests that flower initiation control in Narcissus differs from that in common model plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Doron Cohen
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Deepu Mathew
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
- * Present address: Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, KAU, 680656, India
| | - Amram Eshel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Rina Kamenetsky
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Moshe A. Flaishman
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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