The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has expanded from treating serious bacterial infections to agriculture to promote livestock growth and is often used to treat colds and upper respiratory infections that can be caused by the virus. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are an attractive option due to their target specificity, long half-life, and ability to synergize with the host’s immune response. Compared with antibiotics, the presence of MAbs did not alter the metabolic function of the microbiome. The functional consequences of microbiome disruption are not limited to metabolic diseases. Autoimmune diseases, graft-versus-host disease, allergies, and inflammatory bowel syndrome are all associated with dysregulation of the microbiome.
Importance of Anti-Microbiome Antibodies
The interference of antibiotics with the healthy microbiome, coupled with the emergence and expansion of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, requires the development of new antimicrobial strategies to limit these adverse effects. Pathogen-specific MAbs are one of these strategies due to their precise targeting and low risk of off-target effects. Antibodies have unique properties that enable them to promote pathogen clearance through a variety of mechanisms, including virulence factor neutralization, inhibition of bacterial clumping and biofilm formation, and participation in the immune system through Fc-dependent interactions. The adult human is estimated to secrete 3-6 g of immunoglobulin A (IgA) into the gut daily, and this IgA coats a large fraction of the resident microbes, thereby staving off damaging inflammatory responses. The role of IgA in barrier defense is generally considered to be immune rejection, where IgA binds to microbial surface antigens and promotes the agglutination of microbial cells and their encapsulation and physical clearance in mucus. Loss of innate immune recognition of flagellin is specifically associated with reduced levels of anti-flagellin antibodies.
Fig.1 Protective roles for antibodies in M.tb control.1
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Reference
- Wang, Qixin, et al. "Antibodies as key mediators of protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis." Frontiers in Immunology 15 (2024): 1430955. Distributed under Open Access license CC By 4.0, without modification.