M&I Graduate Seminar: "Human monoclonal antibodies targeting A35 protect from death against mpox"

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Meeting ID: 930 6058 7806
Passcode: 129084

"Human monoclonal antibodies targeting A35 protect from death against mpox"

The surge of mpox in non-endemic areas, along with the emergence of novel mpox (MPXV) strains in Africa, highlights an urgent need for effective therapeutics. We and others showed that A35, a critical protein for MPXV spread in human cells, is a prime target for neutralizing antibodies, but no human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting A35 have been characterized. Here, we isolated three human mAbs, EV35-2, -6, and -7, from an adult recovering from mpox. These antibodies exhibit high-affinity binding to A35 of MPXV clades Ib and IIb and the ortholog in Vaccinia virus (VACV), and effectively block viral spread in vitro. All mAbs conferred protection from death in a lethal VACV challenge, with EV35-6 and EV35-7 protecting in an MPXV model. These findings identify MPXV A35 as a key antigenic target and A35 mAbs as promising next-generation therapeutic candidates against mpox and other Orthopoxviruses.

M&I seminar series is made possible by Department of Microbiology and Immunology, M2P2, CF Program and Immunology Program, and is sponsored in part by Compass Therapeutics, Bio Xcell and ImmuNext.

About the Speaker(s)

Camila Coelho
Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital

About the Speaker

Dr. Camila Coelho leads a research group at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai focused on human B cell responses to vaccination against emerging and re-emerging pathogens. 

Her team employs innovative experimental and computational approaches to identify novel B cell epitopes and immunological markers associated with protective or functional antibody responses. A central aim of the lab is to investigate how different vaccine platforms and host factors shape the quality of B cell responses. 

The Coelho Lab is particularly interested in defining correlates of protection that can inform the design of next-generation vaccines and public health interventions. As part of the Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness, Dr. Coelho’s group studies immune responses to vaccines targeting pathogens such as mpox, SARS-CoV-2, yellow fever, and malaria.

Contact

For more information, contact Steven Ionov at steven.ionov.th@dartmouth.edu.