Broadly protective human antibodies for Hendra, Nipah, and related henipaviruses
Development of broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against henipaviruses
Engineered human antibodies aim to block many henipaviruses to help protect people and animals from severe respiratory and brain infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11292403 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will design vaccine parts and antibody targets guided by detailed protein structures of henipavirus fusion (F) and receptor-binding (G) proteins. They will use human-antibody-producing transgenic mice to generate human monoclonal antibodies and screen those antibodies against diverse henipaviruses including Nipah, Hendra, Ghana, and Cedar viruses. Promising antibodies will be tested for how broadly and strongly they neutralize different virus strains, and the best candidates could inform future treatments or vaccine designs. Work will require high-containment laboratory testing and structural analyses to pinpoint antibody binding sites.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People at risk of exposure to Hendra, Nipah, or related henipaviruses—such as outbreak patients, frontline healthcare workers, or those in close contact with reservoir animals—would be the eventual candidates for resulting therapies or trials.
Not a fit: Patients with unrelated illnesses or those whose infections are already beyond the point where antibody therapy can help may not benefit from these interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could yield broadly effective antibody therapies and guide vaccines that prevent or treat severe henipavirus infections.
How similar studies have performed: Prior monoclonal antibodies have shown protection in animal models and limited compassionate use against individual henipaviruses, but truly broadly neutralizing human antibodies covering the full diversity remain novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Benhur — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Lee, Benhur
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.