HIV PLANTIBODIES: PREVENTING INFECTION

人类的单抗正在创造新一代药物制剂。它们现在可以作为“植物抗体”在转基因植物中以低成本和大批量生产。目前，EPIcell正在使用转基因玉米生产抗精子和HSV2的人类植物抗体，以保护生殖健康产品。这项提案的目的是开发一种抗艾滋病毒的植物抗体，以帮助防止艾滋病毒的传播。具体目标1是产生原代植物转化子，表达基于人单克隆IgGb12的有效的、广谱的人抗HIV-Ig G植物抗体。这种人类单抗是迄今为止产生的最有效、最广谱的抗体之一。具体目标2是对该植物抗体进行体外HIV中和试验的初步评价。在随后的项目中，可以评估这种抗艾滋病毒植物抗体在几个应用中阻断传播的有效性：(A)阻断性传播(阴道、阴茎、直肠、口腔)；(B)防止母婴传播；(C)防止通过母乳传播；(D)暴露后预防(例如，在强迫性行为或针头之后)。拟议的商业应用：基于抗体的技术目前正在系统疗法中取得成果，但抗体的一个尚未开发的商业应用是预防感染。阻断垂直传播和性传播是两个重要的应用，但这项技术非常灵活，很容易扩展到预防许多传染病。

Human monoclonal antibodies are creating a new generation of pharmaceutical agents. They can now be produced at low cost and high volume in transgenic plants as "Plantibodies". Currently, EPIcyte is using transgenic corn to produce human plantibodies against sperm and HSV2 for protective reproductive health products. The aim of this proposal is to develop an anti-HIV plantibody to help prevent HIV transmission. Specific aim 1 is to generate primary plant transformants that express a potent, broad-spectrum human anti-HIV IgG plantibody based on human monoclonal IgGb12. This human monoclonal is one of the most potent, and broad-spectrum antibodies produced to date. Specific aim 2 is to perform initial evaluation of this plantibody for HIV neutralization in vitro. In a subsequent project, this anti-HIV plantibody may then be evaluated for its efficacy for blocking transmission in several applications: (a) blocking sexual transmission (vaginal, penile, rectal, oral); (b) preventing maternal-fetal transmission; (c) preventing transmission by breast milk; (d) post-exposure prophylaxis (e.g., after coerced sex or a needle stick). PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Antibody-based technology is now coming to fruition for systemic therapeutics, but one untapped commercial application for antibodies is in the prevention of infection. Blocking vertical and sexual transmission are two important applications, but the technology is so flexible that it is readily extended to the prevention of many infectious diseases.