Potent neutralization of Hendra and Nipah viruses by human monoclonal antibodies

Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are closely related emerging viruses comprising the Henipavirus genus of the Paramyxovirinae. Each has a broad species tropism and can cause disease with high mortality in both animal and human hosts. These viruses infect cells by a pH-independent membrane fusion event mediated by their attachment (G) and fusion (F) envelope glycoproteins (Envs). Seven Fabs, m101 to -7, were selected for their significant binding to a soluble form of Hendra G (sG) which was used as the antigen for panning of a large na?ve human antibody library. The selected Fabs inhibited, to various degrees, cell fusion mediated by the HeV or NiV Envs and virus infection. The conversion of the most potent neutralizer of infectious HeV, Fab m101, to immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) significantly increased its cell fusion inhibitory activity: the 50% inhibitory concentration was decreased more than 10-fold to approximately 1 microg/ml. The IgG1 m101 was also exceptionally potent in neutralizing infectious HeV; complete (100%) neutralization was achieved with 12.5 microg/ml, and 98% neutralization required only 1.6 microg/ml. The inhibition of fusion and infection correlated with binding of the Fabs to full-length G as measured by immunoprecipitation and less with binding to sG as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Biacore. m101 and m102 competed with the ephrin-B2, which we recently identified as a functional receptor for both HeV and NiV, indicating a possible mechanism of neutralization by these antibodies. The m101, m102, and m103 antibodies competed with each other, suggesting that they bind to overlapping epitopes which are distinct from the epitopes of m106 and m107. In an initial attempt to localize the epitopes of m101 and m102, we measured their binding to a panel of 11 G alanine-scanning mutants and identified two mutants, P185A and Q191 K192A, which significantly decreased binding to m101 and one, G183, which decreased binding of m102 to G. These results suggest that m101 to -7 are specific for HeV or NiV or both and exhibit various neutralizing activities; they are the first human monoclonal antibodies identified against these viruses and could be used for treatment, prophylaxis, and diagnosis and as research reagents and could aid in the development of vaccines.     

氮添加对宁夏荒漠草原植物初级生产力的影响机制

许多研究探索了与全球变化相关的生态系统功能的变化,但对生态系统功能变化的机制与途径了解较少。初级生产力是生态系统功能的重要组分,但关于氮(N)添加下荒漠草原植物群落初级生产力如何变化以及变化机制尚未明确,N是否通过影响生物多样性来影响荒漠草原初级生产力?为此,本研究在荒漠草原开展了为期4年的N添加控制实验(2018—2021年),试验处理包括对照和4个N添加水平(5、10、20和40 g m^-2 a^-1),研究了N添加对荒漠草原物种多样性、功能多样性、初级生产力及其关系的影响。结果表明：(1)N添加处理(2018—2021年)改变了植物物种多样性及功能多样性,但年际间变化趋势不同。N添加处理第四年(2021年)荒漠草原植物功能多样性(Rao指数)、群落加权平均值-株高、功能均匀度和功能离散度均显著增加,而荒漠草原植物物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数均显著降低。(2)N添加可以通过影响物种丰富度和功能多样性进而间接地促进荒漠草原初级生产力,但群落加权性状值-株高对初级生产力的影响是正效应,而物种丰富度和功能离散度对初级生产力的影响是...     

喀斯特石漠化锑矿区植物群落主要物种生态位特征及其种间联结

锑矿的开采等活动剥离了喀斯特石漠化区的地上植被,导致该区群落物种组成与结构被破坏、生态系统受损或功能丧失。为了解锑矿开采后生态破坏区优势物种亮叶桦(Betula luminifera)群落特征及演替状态,并为复层植被重建的物种选择提供理论依据。基于贵州晴隆大厂镇锑矿生态破坏区调查数据,分析了该区优势物种的Levins生态位宽度和Pianka生态位重叠度,并运用卡方检验(χ²)、Ochiai指数(OI)和Pearson相关性计算了群落优势物种种间联结性。结果表明：(1)石漠化锑矿生态破坏区物种组成远低于未破坏区(30科53属68种),仅为14科18属22种,乔木层物种仅为亮叶桦,灌木层物种重要值由高到低依次为密蒙花(Buddleja officinalis)、茅莓(Rubus parvifolius)和水麻(Boehmeria penduliflora)等,草本层物种重要值由高到低依次为芒(Miscanthus sinensis)、头花蓼(Polygonum capitatum)、破坏草(Ageratina adenophora)、艾草(Artemisia argy...     

A folate receptor beta-specific human monoclonal antibody recognizes activated macrophage of rheumatoid patients and mediates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Introduction  

Folate receptor beta (FRβ) is only detectable in placenta and limited to some hematopoietic cells of myeloid lineage in healthy people. Studies have indicated that FRβ is over-expressed in activated macrophages in autoimmune diseases and some cancer cells. In this study we aimed to develop an FRβ-specific human monoclonal antibody (mAb) that could be used as a therapeutic agent to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, as well as FRβ positive cancers.     

A Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibody Protects against Lethal Disease in a New Ferret Model of Acute Nipah Virus Infection

Nipah virus is a broadly tropic and highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus in the genus Henipavirus whose natural reservoirs are several species of Pteropus fruit bats. Nipah virus has repeatedly caused outbreaks over the past decade associated with a severe and often fatal disease in humans and animals. Here, a new ferret model of Nipah virus pathogenesis is described where both respiratory and neurological disease are present in infected animals. Severe disease occurs with viral doses as low as 500 TCID₅₀ within 6 to 10 days following infection. The underlying pathology seen in the ferret closely resembles that seen in Nipah virus infected humans, characterized as a widespread multisystemic vasculitis, with virus replicating in highly vascular tissues including lung, spleen and brain, with recoverable virus from a variety of tissues. Using this ferret model a cross-reactive neutralizing human monoclonal antibody, m102.4, targeting the henipavirus G glycoprotein was evaluated in vivo as a potential therapeutic agent. All ferrets that received m102.4 ten hours following a high dose oral-nasal Nipah virus challenge were protected from disease while all controls died. This study is the first successful post-exposure passive antibody therapy for Nipah virus using a human monoclonal antibody.     

Ovarian Function,Not Age,Predicts the Benefit from Ovarian Suppression or Ablation for Premenopausal Women with Breast Cancer

The role of adjuvant ovarian suppression or ablation (OS/OA) in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer remains controversial. The purpose of our study was to examine which patients might benefit from the addition of OS/OA to tamoxifen. We analyzed the data of 2065 premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive invasive ductal carcinomas who were treated at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center from 2000 to 2008. The five-year disease-free survival rate (DFSR) and overall survival rate (OSR) were compared by menstrual status and treatment. Compared with patients older than forty years of age, patients younger than forty years old had significant lower DFSRs and OSRs. The addition of OS/OA to tamoxifen increased the DFSR and OSR of patients with normal menstrual cycles after chemotherapy, regardless of their age at diagnosis. Patients with normal menstrual cycles after chemotherapy are the main beneficiaries of an adjuvant OS/OA.