CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells are required for protection against severe guinea pig cytomegalovirus infections.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus and the leading cause of infectious disease related birth defects worldwide. How the immune response modulates the risk of intrauterine transmission of HCMV after maternal infection remains poorly understood. Maternal T cells likely play a critical role in preventing infection at the maternal-fetal interface and limiting spread across the placenta, but concerns exist that immune responses to infection may also cause placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Monoclonal Antibodies Engineered with Fc Region Mutations to Extend Protection against Fentanyl Toxicity.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the leading cause of drug-related deaths in the United States. mAbs that selectively target fentanyl and fentanyl analogues offer a promising strategy for treating both opioid-related overdoses and opioid use disorders. To increase the duration of efficacy of a candidate mAb against fentanyl, we selected three sets of mutations in the Fc region of an IgG1 anti-fentanyl mAb (HY6-F9DF215, HY6-F9DHS, HY6-F9YTE) to increase binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn).

ACE2 decoy Fc-fusions and bi-specific killer engager (BiKEs) require Fc engagement for efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.

Unlabelled: SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to evolve over time necessitating the adaptation of vaccines to maintain efficacy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 were a key line of defense for unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals. However, these mAbs are now ineffective against current SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Identification and biophysical characterization of a novel domain-swapped camelid antibody specific for fentanyl.

Opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdoses are ever-evolving public health threats that continue to grow in incidence and prevalence in the United States and abroad. Current treatments consist of opioid receptor agonists and antagonists, which are safe and effective but still suffer from some limitations. Murine and humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have emerged as an alternative and complementary strategy to reverse and prevent opioid-induced respiratory depression.

Antibody-mediated cellular responses are dysregulated in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection characterized by multi-organ involvement and inflammation. Testing of cellular function ex vivo to understand the aberrant immune response in MIS-C is limited. Despite strong antibody production in MIS-C, SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing can remain positive for 4-6 weeks after infection.

IL-4 Predicts the Efficacy of a Candidate Antioxycodone Vaccine and Alters Vaccine-Specific Antibody-Secreting Cell Proliferation in Mice.

Opioid use disorders (OUDs) are a public health concern in the United States and worldwide. Current medications for OUDs may trigger side effects and are often heavily regulated. A novel treatment strategy to be used alone or in combination with existing medications is active immunization with antiopioid vaccines, which stimulate production of opioid-specific Abs that bind to the target drug and prevent its distribution to the brain.

Structures of drug-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to opioids and nicotine reveal a common mode of binding.

Opioid-related fatal overdoses have reached epidemic proportions. Because existing treatments for opioid use disorders offer limited long-term protection, accelerating the development of newer approaches is critical. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an emerging treatment strategy that targets and sequesters selected opioids in the bloodstream, reducing drug distribution across the blood-brain barrier, thus preventing or reversing opioid toxicity.

Advancing humanized monoclonal antibody for counteracting fentanyl toxicity towards clinical development.

Innovative therapies to complement current treatments are needed to curb the growing incidence of fatal overdoses related to synthetic opioids. Murine and chimeric monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for fentanyl and its analogs have demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy in preventing and reversing drug-induced toxicity in rodent models. However, mAb-based therapeutics require extensive engineering as well as and characterization to advance to first-in-human clinical trials.