BISPECIFIC MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY COMPLEXES BOUND TO PRIMATE ERYTHROCYTECOMPLEMENT RECEPTOR-1 FACILITATE VIRUS CLEARANCE IN A MONKEY MODEL

We investigated the feasibility of using bispecific mAb complexes to r edirect and improve the efficiency of the primate E complement recepto r I-based clearance reaction to remove a virus from the circulation, A s an initial approach, we used bacteriophage phi X174 as an immunologi c model for mammalian viruses. Bispecific complexes were prepared by c hemically cross-linking a mAb specific for complement receptor I with a mAb specific for the bacteriophage phi X174. In a monkey model these complexes facilitate rapid and quantitative binding of the target bac teriophage to E in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, after in vivo binding to E, the complexes containing mAb and prototype virus are rapidly cle ared from the circulation of rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys without los s of E. Our findings suggest that bispecific mAb complexes, in concert with primate E complement receptor 1, may have therapeutic utility in the treatment of diseases associated with blood-borne pathogens.