Yeast-secreted, dried and food-admixed monomeric IgA prevents gastrointestinal infection in a piglet model.

Virdi, Vikram; Palaci, Jorge; Laukens, Bram; Ryckaert, Stefan; Cox, Eric; Vanderbeke, Erik; Depicker, Ann; Callewaert, Nico · Nat Biotechnol · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Oral antibodies that interfere with gastrointestinal targets and can be manufactured at scale are needed. Here we show that a single-gene-encoded monomeric immunoglobulin A (IgA)-like antibody, composed of camelid variable single domain antibodies (VHH) fused to IgA Fc (mVHH-IgA), prevents infection by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (F4-ETEC) in piglets. The mVHH-IgA can be produced in soybean seeds or secreted from the yeast Pichia pastoris, freeze- or spray-dried and orally delivered within food.

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