Dr. Mireia Pelegrin and her team at Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy, Montpellier, France, embarked on a groundbreaking project to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recognizing the virus’s potential to mutate and evade existing treatments, they aimed to identify mAbs capable of binding to emerging variants of concern (VOCs).
Using the phage display approach, the team generated and characterized several mAbs against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Initial experiments using the Wuhan and Omicron strains identified two promising mAbs. These mAbs showed exceptional efficiency in recognizing infected cells expressing the Spike proteins on their surface.
To further characterize these mAbs, the team turned to the high-capacity screening platforms integrated into EU-OPENSCREEN through ISIDORe services. These services provided unique expertise in antibody characterization, including computational simulations and a wealth of tools for assessing mAb recognition of multiple VOCs.
Through ISIDORe, the team performed epitope mapping studies and SPR cross-competition experiments. The results, combined with computational analysis, identified one mAb capable of binding all tested VOCs and mutants. This mAb targets a highly conserved region of the receptor-binding domain (RBD), making it a prime candidate for therapeutic development.
ISIDORe’s support was crucial in achieving these results, showcasing the potential for using this mAb in various therapeutic formats to combat current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants. This collaboration highlights the significant impact of research infrastructure services in advancing pandemic preparedness and response efforts.