![Engineering Better Antibodies Against Flaviviruses]()
Recent outbreaks of members of the flavivirus genus, such as dengue and Zika virus, highlight the need for new and effective treatment options. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) could help in this effort. But developing mAbs with broad neutralizing ability against several different flaviviruses has posed a major challenge for researchers. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded Andras Fiser, Ph.D., a five-year, $2 million grant to use computational and experimental methods identify such mAbs. To identify candidate mAbs, Dr. Fiser will develop pharmacophores: computer-generated models containing molecular features that ensure optimal binding between a monoclonal antibody and the flavivirus antigen that it targets. He will also use phage-display technology to build libraries of antibodies that are likely to be effective against flaviviruses. Dr. Fiser is professor of biochemistry and systems & computational biology at Einstein. (1R01AI141816-01)
Posted on: Monday, January 07, 2019