Human-IgG-Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies Block the SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide threat to humans, and neutralizing antibodies have therapeutic potential. We have purified more than 1,000 memory B cells specific to SARS-CoV-2 S1 or its RBD (receptor binding domain) and obtain 729 paired heavy- and light-chain fragments. Among these, 178 antibodies test positive for antigen binding, and the majority of the top 17 binders with EC50 below 1 nM are RBD binders. Furthermore, we identify 11 neutralizing antibodies, eight of which show IC50 within 10 nM, and the best one, 414-1, with IC50 of 1.75 nM. Through epitope mapping, we find three main epitopes in RBD recognized by these antibodies, and epitope-B antibody 553-15 could substantially enhance the neutralizing abilities of most of the other antibodies. We also find that 515-5 could cross neutralize the SARS-CoV pseudovirus. Altogether, our study provides 11 potent human neutralizing antibodies for COVID-19 as therapeutic candidates.

Read full text: Jinkai Wan, Shenghui Xing, Longfei Ding, Yongheng Wang, Chenjian Gu, Yanling Wu, Bowen Rong, Cheng Li, Siqing Wang, Kun Chen, Chenxi He, Dandan Zhu, Songhua Yuan, Chengli Qiu, Chen Zhao, Lei Nie, Zhangzhao Gao, Jingyu Jiao, Xiaoyan Zhang, Xiangxi Wang, Tianlei Ying, Haibin Wang, Youhua Xie, Yanan Lu, Jianqing Xu, Fei Lan, Human-IgG-Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies Block the SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Cell Reports, Volume 32, Issue 3, 2020, 107918, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107918



Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, neutralizing antibodies, epitope, cross-neutralizing antibody, human antibodies, coronavirus, RBD, spike protein, infection, human-IgG, monoclonal antibodies, #Antibodies, #MonoclonalAntibodies, #SARSCoV2Infection.

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