Abstract

Nanobodies Against Influenza and Their Applications in Preparing For Future Pandemics

Simon Hufton, Section Head Molecular Immunology, National Institute for Biological Standard and Control (NIBSC)

Both seasonal and pandemic influenza continue to represent a formidable public health challenge. The constant evolution of new strains means the rapid availability of highly specific neutralising monoclonal antibodies are of considerable interest. Nanobodies are emerging as next generation antibodies with a number of well documented advantages which make them highly amenable to applications in the infectious disease area. This presentation will describe the isolation and characterization of nanobodies specific for key influenza subtypes including ‘swine flu’ A(H1N1), highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1), highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9), A(H3N2) and B lineage influenza viruses. The use of yeast display for mapping their epitopes on hemagglutinin will also be presented as will their potential applications in preparing for future influenza pandemics.