By Merin C. MacDonald | Date published: October 15, 2024
Study led by the NHPRR Advances Vision for Therapeutics that Protect and Treat Infections During Early Life
The global spread of the Zika virus during the outbreak in the mid-2010s underscored the devastating impact of in-utero viral infections, but Zika is just one of many viruses, including HIV, CMV, and Oropouche, that can pose significant developmental risks. Although promising new therapies offer hope for preventing the lifelong effects of infections during pregnancy or infancy, developing safe and effective treatments for pregnant populations presents unique challenges. A critical factor is ensuring that medications can effectively cross the placenta to protect the fetus.
In their study published in mAbs, Joanna Zikos, MSc, and members of the Nonhuman Primate Reagent Resource (NHPRR) directed by Diogo Magnani, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Innate Immunity, along with collaborators from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at UMass Chan, Oregon Health and Science University, the California National Primate Research Center, CytoDyn, and Rapid Novor, engineered leronlimab, a potent antibody originally developed for HIV/AIDS prevention, to enhance its delivery to the fetus. By modifying its neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) binding affinity, investigators boosted transplacental transport, resulting in much higher levels of the antibody reaching the fetus.
The study advances the vision for a single antibody dose administered in pregnancy, protecting infants against lifelong consequences of in-utero and post-birth infections.