• Paediatricians do more than just treat children’s ailments - or dress up as princesses. • A team of 10 in China had their blood screened to help develop treatments for common childhood illnessesMAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images Paediatricians do more than just treat children’s ailments - or dress up as princesses. • A team of 10 in China had their blood screened to help develop treatments for common childhood illnesses MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images In the fight against common childhood illnesses, scientists have turned to an unusual source: the blood of paediatricians. • It turns out this is a treasure trove of powerful antibodies that could be used as preventative treatments. • These have even outperformed approved antibody therapies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a common cold virus. • Paediatricians are almost constantly exposed to respiratory viruses, making them a potentially underexplored resource in the hunt for highly potent antibodies against such pathogens.
Article Summaries:
- Scientists have identified a new source of potent antiviral antibodies by screening the blood of paediatricians who have long been exposed to respiratory viruses. From 10 paediatricians, researchers isolated 56 strong antibodies against RSV and engineered three that neutralised a broad range of RSV strains and also human metapneumovirus. In mouse and rat studies, these paediatrician‑derived antibodies prevented disease symptoms and were up to 25 times more effective than the current prophylactic antibodies nirsevimab and clesrovimab. The findings suggest a promising candidate for human trials, potentially offering broader protection against RSV and related cold viruses than existing therapies.
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