Potent human monoclonal antibodies against SARS CoV, Nipah and Hendra viruses

Background: Recently, several potent human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS CoV) S glycoproteins, as well as the first fully human mAbs against two other paramyxoviruses, Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) have been discovered. Objective: To examine, compare and contrast the functional characteristics of hmAbs with potential for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases caused by SARS CoV, HeV and NiV. Methods: A review of relevant literature. Results/conclusions: Structural analyses have provided insights into the molecular mechanisms of receptor recognition and antibody neutralization, and suggested that these antibodies alone or in combination could fight the viruses' heterogeneity and mutability, which is a major problem in the development of effective therapeutic agents against viruses, including therapeutic antibodies.