Overview
- La Jolla Institute researchers, in a Cell Host & Microbe paper published Thursday, report four fully human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize measles.
- The antibodies bind the virus’s H and F surface proteins to block cell entry, with cryo‑EM maps pinpointing four distinct, non‑competing sites that could be targeted as a cocktail.
- In cotton rats at Ohio State, dosing before exposure or within 24–48 hours cut viral load about 500‑fold, and one antibody, 3A12, left no circulating virus detectable.
- The team isolated the antibodies from a 56‑year‑old vaccinated volunteer and positions them as potential prophylaxis or post‑exposure treatment for infants and immunocompromised people who cannot get the MMR shot.
- The work remains preclinical with provisional patents disclosed, and outside experts caution that real‑world use would require early dosing, effective delivery, and strategies to limit viral escape as cases rise with falling vaccination.