Description:

Title:  "Neutralizing Antibodies Against Pandemic Viruses"

Pamela BJorkman, PhD

David Baltimore Professor of Biology and Bioengineering; Executive Officer for Biology and Biological Engineering

Caltech Div. of Biology and Biological Engineering

Faculty Host: Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster, PhD

Topic:

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a world-wide pandemic resulting in a massive loss of lives. We are using structural biology techniques to investigate the structural correlates of antibody-based immune protection by solving 3-D structures of infection- and vaccination-induced antibodies complexed with the spike trimer of SARS-CoV-2. Structural comparisons allowed us to classify antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike trimer into categories. These classifications provide rules for assigning current and future human RBD-targeting antibodies into classes and suggesting combinations for clinical use. Our structural studies have also guided the development of a potential pan-betacoronavirus vaccine. The vaccine approach involves co-display of diverse sets of RBDs from SARS-like beta coronaviruses (sarbecoviruses) on nanoparticle that results in increased breadth of neutralizing responses in mice compared with nanoparticles presenting only SARS-CoV-2 RBDs. This modular vaccine platform could provide protection from SARS-CoV-2 as well as potential future emergent coronaviruses that could cause pandemics.