This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) is providing $809,614 to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to develop broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (bnAbs) against henipaviruses, a highly pathogenic group of viruses that cause severe respiratory and neurological diseases.
The key objectives are to: 1) Comprehensively characterize existing bnAbs generated from transgenic mouse models, 2) Design and engineer immunogens to enhance the immunogenicity of conserved epitopes on henipavirus fusion and receptor-binding proteins, 3) Assess the protective efficacy of the bnAb candidates in animal models, and 4) Develop optimized monoclonal antibody cocktails for broad-spectrum henipavirus therapy. This research aims to overcome limitations of current vaccine and antibody candidates by developing bnAbs effective against a wide range of henipaviruses, including Hendra, Nipah, Ghana, and Cedar viruses. If successful, the outcomes could significantly advance countermeasures against these highly pathogenic viruses.
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