Novel Activating Antibodies for Viral Treatment

Various pathogens (bacteria and viruses as well) bind to specific cell adhesion molecule in order to inhibit the immune response and/or to infect the host cells. However,upon binding and induction/activation, the cell adhesion molecule suppresses virus production by an SHP2-dependent process which involves also suppression of mTOR-mediated protein biosynthesis.

We propose our anti- cell adhesion molecule activating mAb as a broad antiviral therapy (including Covid-19) that will:

• Bind the cell membrane cell adhesion molecule in various lung (i.e. endothelial, epithelial dendritic and other) cells and stimulate anti-viral activity in these lung cells expressing thecell adhesion molecule .
• Bind and mask cell surface and virus associated cell adhesion molecule and render the possibility of Covid-19 cell adhesion molecule homotypic interaction with host cell and the following infection less feasible.

Project manager

Keren-Or Amar
VP, Business Development, Healthcare

Project researchers

Francesca Levi-Schaffer
HUJI, School of Medicine - IMRIC
School of Pharmacy- Institute for Drug Research