AI Article Synopsis
- West Nile Virus (WNV) is common in Israel, and many people have developed antibodies against it through exposure, leading researchers to explore its use in treating severe infections.
- OMRIX Biopharmaceuticals developed a method to select plasma from Israeli blood donors with anti-WNV antibodies to create a more potent treatment known as WNIG, which is significantly stronger than regular IVIG.
- In experiments on mice, WNIG demonstrated much higher effectiveness in preventing and treating WNV infections, especially in immunosuppressed mice, suggesting it could be a valuable therapy for patients with severe WNV.
Article Abstract
Background: West Nile Virus (WNV) is endemic in Israel and a significant level of antibodies is present in the population due to natural exposure. Anecdotal cases suggested that the presence of anti-WNV antibodies in intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) from Israeli donors (IVIG-IL) assisted the recovery of patients with severe WNV infection.
Methods: To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of IVIG-IL against WNV infection, OMRIX Biopharmaceuticals, Israel, have developed a strategy for selection of plasma units from a 10% fraction of Israeli blood donors with anti-WNV antibodies. Positive units were processed into pharmaceutical grade WNV IVIG (WNIG). Following inoculation with WNV, mice received i.p. injections of different doses (0.01-8 mg/mouse) of IVIG-IL or WNIG, according to the specific experimental protocol.
Results: WNIG was about 10 times more potent (per gr of IgG) than was regular IVIG-IL when tested by ELISA and neutralization assays. In a mouse lethal WNV infection model, prophylactic treatment with WNIG was at least 5-10-fold more potent as compared to treatment with IVIG-IL. Treatment with WNIG during active encephalitis, three or four days following WNV infection, had a significant protective effect. WNIG was also very effective in protecting immunosuppressed mice. Indeed, treatment of dexamethasone-immunosuppressed mice with 0.2 or 1.0 mg WNIG 4 h after virus infection, led to 100% survival.
Conclusion: IVIG produced from selected plasma donated in WNV endemic regions can be used to produce WNV IVIG with superior activity for therapeutic and prophylactic measures.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660335 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-9-18 | DOI Listing |
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