Publications
npj VirusesApr 2025 |
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DOI:
10.1038/s44298-025-00116-x

Potent neutralising monoclonal antibodies targeting the spike of NL63 coronavirus

Lee, Wen Shi; Taiaroa, George; Esterbauer, Robyn; Conlan, Meghan; Neil, Jessica A.; Gartner, Matthew J.; Smith, Monique L.; Wang, Mingyang; Shepherd, Rory A.; Tran, Thomas; Pymm, Phillip; Schwab, Lara S. U.; Kelly, Andrew P.; Reilly, Ellie; Amarasena, Thakshila; Wines, Bruce D.; Hogarth, P. Mark; Juno, Jennifer A.; Kent, Stephen J.; Tan, Hyon‐Xhi; Subbarao, Kanta; Wheatley, Adam K.
Product Used
Variant Libraries
Abstract
NL63 is an alphacoronavirus that uses the same ACE2 receptor as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, but generally causes mild respiratory illness. In a cohort of healthy adults, we characterised humoral responses against NL63 spike and isolated a panel of human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), including five with potent viral neutralising activity. Four neutralising mAbs blocked ACE2 receptor engagement and were found to target the receptor binding motif. A single mAb targeting the S2 subunit displayed potent neutralisation activity comparable to those directly blocking receptor engagement. The S2 mAb targets a membrane proximal heptad repeat 2 (HR2) region in spike that is absent in betacoronaviruses, potentially revealing a site of vulnerability unique to alphacoronaviruses. For all neutralising mAbs, putative epitopes were highly conserved in over 200 NL63 sequences, including recent clinical isolates. A deeper understanding of the recognition of alphacoronavirus spike by human antibodies will guide vaccine and therapeutic development against alphacoronavirus threats.
Product Used
Variant Libraries

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