HIV PLANTIBODIES: PREVENTING INFECTION

人类单克隆抗体正在创造新一代的药物制剂。它们现在可以在转基因植物中作为“植物体”以低成本和高产量生产。目前，EPIcyte正在利用转基因玉米生产人类抗精子和hsv - 2的植物抗体，用于保护性生殖健康产品。这项提议的目的是开发一种抗HIV的植物体，以帮助预防HIV的传播。具体目的1是以人单克隆IgGb12为基础，产生一种表达强效、广谱人抗hiv IgG植物抗体的初级植物转化子。这种人单克隆抗体是迄今为止最有效的广谱抗体之一。具体目的2是在体外对这种植物抗体进行HIV中和的初步评估。在随后的项目中，可能会评估这种抗hiv植物体在几种应用中阻断传播的功效：(a)阻断性传播（阴道、阴茎、直肠、口腔）；(b)防止母胎传播；(c)防止母乳传播；(d)接触后预防（例如，在强迫性行为或被扎针后）。建议的商业应用：基于抗体的技术现在正在系统治疗中取得成果，但抗体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项重要的应用，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.