Researchers are developing new antibodies that may help prevent and reduce complications from the Epstein-Barr virus, in a promising step to combat one of the most widespread viruses among humans.
It is believed that around 95% of adults carry the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and the infection often passes without noticeable symptoms. However, the virus does not leave the body after infection but remains dormant for life, and it has been linked to some types of cancer and multiple sclerosis, as well as more serious complications in people with weakened immune systems.
In a new study, a team from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in the United States developed antibodies that target two proteins on the surface of the virus, gp350 and gp42, which are proteins that help the virus attach to and then enter B cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a key role in the immune system.
Researchers hope that disabling these two proteins will prevent the virus from infecting cells from the outset, or limit its ability to reactivate itself later.
During the experiments, the researchers were able to isolate 10 new antibodies; two of them target the gp350 protein, and eight target the gp42 protein. When tested on mice with immune systems similar to those of humans, one of these antibodies showed a promising ability to protect the animals from infection with the virus.
Biochemist Andrew McGuire said that developing effective human antibodies against Epstein-Barr was a difficult challenge because the virus can bind to almost all B cells, making it difficult to identify a specific immune response that could be exploited to develop a treatment.
The team used hybrid mice in their study that are capable of producing antibodies with human genetic characteristics, which may increase the chances of their use in humans in the future, if subsequent studies prove their safety and effectiveness.
These antibodies may be particularly important for organ and bone marrow transplant recipients who take immunosuppressant drugs, making them more susceptible to complications related to the virus. One of the most serious of these complications is post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), a condition in which there is uncontrolled growth of lymphocytes, which can develop into serious types of cancer.
Infection prevention may also be beneficial for children undergoing organ transplants who have never been exposed to the virus.
Despite the encouraging results, the study is still in its early stages, and these antibodies have not yet been tested on humans. Researchers need to conduct safety tests and clinical trials to determine their effectiveness and potential for future use as a preventative or treatment method.
These efforts are running parallel to other research to develop a vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus, in an attempt to prevent infection with the virus in the first place.
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
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