Therapeutic Antibodies for the Treatment of Respiratory Tract Infections—Current Overview and Perspectives

Abstract

Respiratorytract infections (RTIs) are frequent and life-threatening diseases, accounting for several millions of deaths worldwide. RTIs implicate microorganisms, including viruses (influenza virus, coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)), bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis) and fungi (Pneumocystis spp., Aspergillus spp. and very occasionally Candida spp.). The emergence of new pathogens, like the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and the substantial increase in drug resistance have highlighted the critical necessity to develop novel anti-infective molecules. In this context, antibodies (Abs) are becoming increasingly important in respiratory medicine and may fulfill the unmet medical needs of RTIs. However, development of Abs for treating infectious diseases is less advanced than for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Currently, only three Abs have been marketed for RTIs, namely, against pulmonary anthrax and RSV infection, while several clinical and preclinical studies are in progress. This article gives an overview of the advances in the use of Abs for the treatment of RTIs, based on the analysis of clinical studies in this field. It describes the Ab structure, function and pharmacokinetics, and discusses the opportunities offered by the various Ab formats, Ab engineering and co-treatment strategies. Including the most recent literature, it finally highlights the strengths, weaknesses and likely future trends of a novel anti-RTI Ab armamentarium.

Antibody-Based Immunotherapies as a Tool for Tackling Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections

“…However, recently, an increase in the delivery of antibodies through the subcutaneous and intramuscular routes has been registered. In addition, oral immunotherapy with antibodies is a topic being studied using different isotypes and sources of antibodies, and direct delivery with an aerosol to the infected airways has been shown to be effective [28][29][30][31].…”

Molecular Mechanism of Jinchan Oral Liquid in the Treatment of Children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pneumonia Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology

“…More than 50 percent of the RSV hospitalizations occurred in China younger than six months, and RSV infection showed significant seasonal patterns [4]. Palivizumab was market-approved by the FDA for immunoprophylaxis for RSV [5]. However, the clinical application was limited because of its high cost.…”