Scientists have harvested antibodies from the blood of paediatricians to develop new preventative treatments for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus. These antibodies outperform existing therapies by up to 25 times and target a wider range of strains. The discovery stems from the natural immunity built by paediatricians through years of exposure to respiratory viruses.
Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University screened the blood of 10 paediatricians with over a decade of experience at the hospital. This process identified 56 potent antibodies against RSV from the paediatricians' immune cells. Artificial versions of these antibodies were created and tested in laboratory settings, revealing three that were especially effective against diverse RSV strains. One of these also neutralized human metapneumovirus, a related virus that commonly causes colds but can lead to severe illness in children.
Further experiments involved injecting these antibodies into mice and rats, either individually or in combination. The treatments prevented the animals from developing symptoms after exposure to RSV or human metapneumovirus. Compared to existing antibodies like nirsevimab and clesrovimab, the new ones were up to 25 times more effective at blocking RSV and covered more strains.
Paediatricians often develop resilience to respiratory viruses over time due to constant exposure. Trent Calcutt at Port Macquarie Base Hospital in Australia noted, “I’ve been working with paediatric patients for 10 years now and in my first few years, I would probably get two to three notable respiratory illnesses per year, and now I can go a year without getting any.” He added that the antibodies seem promising for human clinical trials, stating, “There are certainly stranger interventions out there, so I think this one is worth considering.”
Currently, infants are protected from RSV through maternal vaccination during pregnancy or injections of nirsevimab or clesrovimab, which neutralize the virus but only against certain strains. Unlike these, which were derived from the blood of previously infected adults outside healthcare, the paediatrician-sourced antibodies offer broader protection. No approved vaccine or antibody therapy exists for human metapneumovirus. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine (DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adz4170).
