Researchers develop effective antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus

A team of researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington (USA) has managed to create antibodies to help combat the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the most common in the world that is estimated to be present in 95% of the adult population.

Specifically, scientists have managed to develop these antibodies directed against two proteins located on the surface of the virus, which are what allow the virus to access our B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a fundamental role in the immune system.

This virus, which in many cases does not present symptoms, is the main cause of mononucleosis, also called kissing disease, since it is transmitted through saliva. Currently there is no vaccine that protects against this infection which, after contracting it, remains latent for life in the human body and in some cases can be reactivated.

Thanks to this research, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the antibodies manage to block EBV and prevent it from establishing itself in the body from the beginning, as well as preventing its reactivation in later stages of life.

"Finding human antibodies that prevent the Epstein-Barr virus from infecting our immune cells has been especially difficult because, unlike other viruses, EBV manages to bind to virtually all of our B lymphocytes," said biochemist Andrew McGuire, one of the authors of the study, in a statement.

For this reason, he continues, "we decided to use new technologies to try to fill this gap in knowledge and ended up taking a crucial step towards blocking one of the most common viruses in the world."

To do this, they performed experiments on mice bred to produce genetically human antibodies. When the animals were exposed to the virus's two proteins (gp350 and gp42), the mice's cells triggered the exact immune response the researchers were looking for, allowing for highly targeted antibodies.

"Not only did we identify important antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus, but we also validated an innovative approach to discover protective antibodies against other pathogens," said pathobiologist Crystal Chhan, another of the co-authors of the research.