B-cell receptor specific for influenza neuraminidase (BCR-NA) (BCR-NA)

B-cell receptors specific for influenza neuraminidase (BCR-NA) are membrane-bound immunoglobulins on B lymphocytes that recognize and bind to epitopes on the neuraminidase (NA) glycoprotein of influenza A and B viruses (Chen et al., 2018). NA is a critical enzyme that facilitates the release of progeny virions from infected host cells by cleaving sialic acid receptors, and it also helps the virus navigate through respiratory mucus (Stadlbauer et al., 2019). When these specific BCRs encounter NA epitopes, they trigger B-cell activation, clonal expansion, and differentiation into plasma cells that secrete anti-NA antibodies (Madsen et al., 2025). These antibodies provide protection primarily by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of NA, which limits viral egress and reduces the severity of infection (Krammer et al., 2018). Unlike the highly variable hemagglutinin (HA) protein, the neuraminidase protein is relatively more conserved across different influenza strains, making NA-specific BCRs a promising target for the development of broadly protective or universal influenza vaccines (Daulagala et al., 2023). Therapeutic strategies focusing on these receptors include the design of NA-enriched vaccines to enhance the breadth of the immune response and the development of monoclonal antibodies, such as 1G01 and mAb-297, that mimic the binding specificity of these BCRs to provide passive immunity (Madsen et al., 2025; Stadlbauer et al., 2019).

Other names

Neuraminidase-specific B-cell receptorNA-specific BCRAnti-neuraminidase B-cell receptorInfluenza neuraminidase-reactive B-cell receptor

Vaccine antigens bind to and cross-link these B-cell receptors, initiating signaling cascades that lead to B-cell proliferation and the secretion of antibodies that inhibit viral neuraminidase activity, thereby blocking the release of new viral particles from infected cells (Chen et al., 2018; Stadlbauer et al., 2019).