Recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain by neutralizing antibodies

Immediately from the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from diverse biomedical and biological disciplines have united to study the novel pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 has been a major focus of COVID-19 research due to its clinical relevance and importance in vaccine and therapeutic development. Isolation and characterization of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 have been accumulating at an unprecedented pace. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies to date target the spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD), which engages the host receptor ACE2 for viral entry. Here we review the binding sites and molecular features of monoclonal antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 RBD, including a few that also cross-neutralize SARS-CoV. (c) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from diverse biomedical and biological disciplines have collaborated to study the novel pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2. The focus has been on the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2, crucial for vaccine and therapeutic development. Most of the neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 target the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD).