Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase-specific B-cell receptors and antibodies (HA/NA-specific BCR/Ab)

B-cell receptors (BCRs) and secreted antibodies specific for influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are the primary mediators of adaptive immunity against the influenza virus [Nature Reviews Immunology, 2019]. BCRs are membrane-bound immunoglobulins that recognize viral antigens to initiate B-cell activation, while secreted antibodies circulate to neutralize the virus and mark it for clearance [PubMed: 29326442]. HA-specific antibodies typically target the HA1 globular head to block binding to host sialic acid receptors or the conserved HA2 stem region to inhibit membrane fusion [Science, 2011]. NA-specific antibodies bind to the neuraminidase enzyme, preventing the cleavage of sialic acids and the release of new virions from the host cell surface [Journal of Virology, 2018]. While these molecules are not traditional therapeutic targets for inhibition, they are the desired products of vaccination and are developed as monoclonal antibody therapies for passive immunization [The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2020]. Their characterization is essential for the development of universal influenza vaccines that aim to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against conserved viral epitopes.

Other names

Anti-influenza antibodiesHA-specific antibodiesNA-specific antibodiesInfluenza neutralizing antibodiesBroadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs)Influenza-specific B-cell receptors

These molecules bind to specific epitopes on the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) proteins to block viral attachment, fusion, or egress [Krammer, 2019].