The limited duration of humoral responses to vaccination is a key issue in the fight against infectious diseases, as antibody levels wane over time, leaving individuals vulnerable to reinfection.
SARS-CoV2 is known to gain entry into epithelial cells through the association of its viral spike protein with the ACE2 receptor, which is widely expressed on epithelial cell types.
Researchers at Stanford have developed fusion proteins, containing ACE2 domain linked to a fragment of non-neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody, with a greater breadth of protection than previously described similar fusion proteins.
Stanford researchers have engineered hematopoietic stem cells to provide long-term secretion of chosen therapeutic antibodies, eliminating the need of repeated dosing for delivery.