Structural basis for distinct protective mechanisms of IGHV3-23 antibodies targeting influenza hemagglutinin stem (opens in new tab)

Characterization of antibodies targeting the conserved stem domain of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is critical for developing broadly protective countermeasures against the influenza virus. From a phage display human antibody library, this study discovers three group 1 HA-specific stem antibodies, namely HB31, HB34, and HB315, all of which are encoded by IGHV3-23. While HB31 and HB34 have minimal neutralization activity in vitro, their Fc-mediated effector functions lead to better in vivo pro...