Preventing and Treating Respiratory Viral infections Using Sialylated Fc Ligands

Stanford researchers have found that sialylated Fc ligands can be used to modulate immune responses to respiratory viral infections.

Severe respiratory viral infections can trigger an aberrant inflammatory response that damages lung tissue and compromises gas exchange in the alveolar space, potentially leading to lethal complications such as respiratory failure. Immunoglobulins, comprised of Fc and Fab regions, regulate this inflammatory response, affecting the severity of viral diseases and effectiveness of vaccines. The Fc region is relatively constant among different antibodies in the same class, while the Fab region, also known as the antigen-binding fragment, is highly variable. Current immunoglobulin treatments for respiratory viral infections involve antibodies with Fab regions specific to the target viral protein, which limits their usage against different types of viral infections.

Researchers at Stanford have shown that intravenous administration of immunoglobulin G with sialylated Fc domain, or even sialylated Fc ligand alone, helps preserve lung function after respiratory viral infection (Figure 1). The addition of sialic acid induces conformational changes that promote interactions with anti-inflammatory SIGN receptors. This approach can be applied against any viral strain, eliminating the need for adjustments when novel viral strains and mutations emerge.

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