Targeted isolation of diverse human protective broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-like viruses

The emergence of current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) and potential future spillovers of SARS-like coronaviruses into humans pose a major threat to human health and the global economy. Development of broadly effective coronavirus vaccines that can mitigate these threats is needed. Here, we utilized a targeted donor selection strategy to isolate a large panel of human broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to sarbecoviruses. Many of these bnAbs are remarkably effective in neutralizing a diversity of sarbecoviruses and against most SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, including the Omicron variant. Neutralization breadth is achieved by bnAb binding to epitopes on a relatively conserved face of the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Consistent with targeting of conserved sites, select RBD bnAbs exhibited protective efficacy against diverse SARS-like coronaviruses in a prophylaxis challenge model in vivo. These bnAbs provide new opportunities and choices for next-generation antibody prophylactic and therapeutic applications and provide a molecular basis for effective design of pan-sarbecovirus vaccines. A broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) response is required to combat SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). The authors isolated and characterized a large panel of sarbecovirus bnAbs from vaccinated individuals who had recovered from COVID-19, finding that many of these antibodies were able to neutralize all VOCs, including Omicron, and demonstrate prophylaxis in mice infected with diverse sarbecoviruses.

Automated summary

This study isolated and characterized a large panel of sarbecovirus broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) that were able to neutralize all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including Omicron. These antibodies also demonstrated prophylaxis in mice infected with diverse sarbecoviruses, suggesting their potential use in next-generation antibody-based prophylactic and therapeutic applications.