Monoclonal antibody therapy prevents infection by the hepatitis C virus

A monoclonal antibody therapy has been found to prevent infection by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to researchers.

The therapy, developed by MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and tested in an animal model at the
Texas Biomedical Research Institute, was found to be successful in preventing HCV.

Chimpanzees were used in the study as they are the only species other than humans that can be infected by the hepatitis C virus. In studies conducted at Texas Biomed’s Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio the researchers discovered that the human monoclonal antibody targeting the virus prevented the chimpanzees from becoming infected in a dose-dependent manner.

Previous research had confirmed that the monoclonal antibody, called HCV1, blocks HCV from infecting liver cells in laboratory tissue culture, but this is the first time the researchers had been able to expand on these results in laboratory tests.

Study co-author Robert E. Lanford, of Texas Biomed, said: "This is an important proof-of-concept study demonstrating a high dose of neutralizing antibody can protect the liver from HCV infection using monoclonal antibodies in a study that was designed to mimic the transplantation setting.

"One can envision improving on these results with a cocktail of antibodies or by using this antibody with some of the newer antivirals currently in clinical trials. Infection of the new donor liver by residual virus in the patient is one of the major obstacles preventing a full recovery in these patients."

MassBiologics has been persuing research in this area for some time. Recently they have been looking to develop HCV1 as a therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation as a result of HCV infection. HCV1 is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the surface of the HCV virus and blocks the ability of the virus to enter liver cells.

Posted by Ben Evans