Antibodies that can protect against four major respiratory viruses
Molecular basis and protective efficacy of cross-neutralizing antibodies against four major respiratory viruses
Lab-made antibodies aim to protect adults after hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant from four serious lung viruses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285229 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
After a stem cell transplant your immune system can be too weak to fight common childhood respiratory viruses, which can cause deadly lung infections. Researchers have discovered two lab-made antibodies that can neutralize pairs of these viruses and will map exactly where and how those antibodies bind to the viruses. They will test the protective activity of these antibodies in laboratory and animal models and study human immune cells and samples to understand how long protection might last. The team hopes to turn these findings into passive antibody treatments that could be given to transplant patients to prevent severe infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have received or will receive a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and are in the early post-transplant period or otherwise at high risk for respiratory viral infection are the intended beneficiaries.
Not a fit: People who are not immunocompromised, are long past immune recovery after transplant, or have unrelated lung diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this grant's interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to antibody therapies that prevent multiple common respiratory viruses and lower death and hospitalization after stem cell transplant.
How similar studies have performed: Monoclonal antibodies against RSV have worked in infants and progressed in clinical trials, but antibodies that cross-protect against RSV, HMPV, HPIV3, and HPIV1 are a newer and mostly preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boonyaratanakornkit, Jim — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Boonyaratanakornkit, Jim
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.