video: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s Psl surface exopolysaccharide "slime layer" and the copy number PcrV protein the tip of the bacterium's toxin injectisome, were tested in a mixture and also combined into a single new bispecific antibody format called MEDI3902. By combining the anti-PcrV and anti-Psl antibodies into a single bispecfic antibody molecule called MEDI3902, three different mechanisms of antibacterial activity are brought to bear against the bacteria. Anti-Psl antibody (blue) binding to its abundant target coating the surface of the bacterium results in two antibacterial mechanisms; 1) inhibiting both the attachment to host cells and 2) mediating clearance and killing by macrophages, the body's killer cells". The anti-PcrV antibody (red) binding its low-copy injectisome target (denoted by flashes) adds a third antibacterial mechanism; 3) inhibiting the bacteria’s cytotoxic ability to kill host cells. This video relates to a paper that appeared in the Nov. 12, 2014, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by Dr. A. DiGiandomenico at MedImmune, LLC in Gaithersburg, Md., and colleagues was titled, "A multifunctional bispecific antibody protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa." view more
Credit: MedImmune LLC