Neutralizing antibodies against the preactive form of respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein offer unique possibilities for clinical intervention.
Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the most important viral agent of pediatric respiratory infections worldwide. The only specific treatment available today is a humanized monoclonal antibody (Palivizumab) directed against the F glycoprotein, administered prophylactically to children at very high risk of severe hRSV infections. Palivizumab, as most anti-F antibodies so far described, recognizes an epitope that is shared by the two conformations in which hRSV_F can fold, the metastable prefusion form and the highly stable postfusion conformation. We now describe a unique class of antibodies specific for the prefusion form of this protein that account for most of the neutralizing activity of either a rabbit serum raised against a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing hRSV_F or a human Ig preparation (Respigam), which was used for prophylaxis before Palivizumab. These antibodies therefore offer unique possibilities for immune intervention against hRSV, and their production should be assessed in trials of hRSV vaccines.
Biología Viral,  Centro Nacional de Microbiología and  CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, 28220 Madrid,  Spain.
Margarita
M
Magro
Vicente
V
Mas
Keith
K
Chappell
Mónica
M
Vázquez
Olga
O
Cano
Daniel
D
Luque
María C
MC
Terrón
José A
JA
Melero
Concepción
C
Palomo
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055550:Protein Stability; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins