Researchers Identify Antibodies That Could Prevent and Treat Measles Infection

SadaNews - For the first time, scientists have identified human antibodies capable of neutralizing the measles virus, which could open new avenues for preventions and treatment of this highly contagious disease.

A report published in the journal "Cell Host & Microbe" noted that these antibodies bind to key regions on the measles virus and prevent it from entering the body’s cells.

Erica Ollmann Saphire, who led the study team from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California, stated: "These antibodies act as a preventive measure to protect against infection in its early stages, and they also work post-exposure to the virus as a treatment against measles infection," according to Reuters.

Researchers previously used a super-cold electron microscopy imaging technique to capture the first images showing how antibodies in mice attach to the measles virus. Those early studies revealed vulnerabilities in the virus that antibodies could target.

In the current study, researchers isolated measles antibodies from a woman who had been vaccinated against the virus many years ago, and found in the volunteer's blood antibodies that bind to two key sites on the virus to disable it.

The researchers reported that injecting these antibodies in a trial on measles-infected rodents led to a 500-fold decrease in the viral load whether administered before exposure to measles or within a day or two after infection.

They indicated that these antibodies would form promising tools in combating measles despite acknowledging the need for more work to achieve that. The researchers added that their new three-dimensional images of the antibody structure provide the materials necessary to create the world’s first treatment used before or after exposure to the measles virus.

They pointed out that these antibodies for the measles virus would be especially useful for those with weakened immunity and those who have not been fully vaccinated yet, including children younger than the appropriate age for vaccination.

They added: "Currently, these populations have no options other than relying on herd immunity."

As skepticism around vaccines increases due to misinformation, vaccination rates in many communities are falling below the levels needed to achieve herd immunity. The United States has recorded the highest rate of measles cases in decades.