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Review
. 2020 Jun 23:9:e57877.
doi: 10.7554/eLife.57877.

Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and their potential for therapeutic passive immunization

Affiliations
Review

Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and their potential for therapeutic passive immunization

P J Klasse et al. Elife. .

Abstract

We review aspects of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The topics we cover are relevant to immunotherapy with plasma from recovered patients, monoclonal antibodies against the viral S-protein, and soluble forms of the receptor for the virus, angiotensin converting enzyme 2. The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, an essential public health tool, will also be informed by an understanding of the antibody response in infected patients. Although virus-neutralizing antibodies are likely to protect, antibodies could potentially trigger immunopathogenic events in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients or enhance infection. An awareness of these possibilities may benefit clinicians and the developers of antibody-based therapies and vaccines.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; infectious disease; microbiology; plasma; therapy; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

PK, JM No competing interests declared

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