During the global coronavirus pandemic Abcam and Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA began a collaboration focused on accelerating the identification of potential SARS-CoV-2 virus-neutralizing antibodies. Leveraging Sandia’s disease area knowledge and molecular modeling expertise along with Abcam’s antibody engineering capability, the partnership is aiming to help reduce the impact of future viral outbreaks by providing therapies on a shorter timescale.
Neutralizing antibodies – a therapeutic option for treating COVID-19 patients
The pandemic brought into sharp focus the need to accelerate the discovery of virus-neutralizing antibodies. While numerous vaccines, which protect against SARS-CoV-2 infections, have been developed in incredibly short timeframes, scientists have also working on creating rapid approaches for developing drugs to protect at-risk populations. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, which are already used to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, are being actively explored as a COVID-19 treatment. However, the standard approach usually takes at least five months as it relies on discovering antibodies from human survivors or immunized animals, and the pandemic has highlighted the urgency to reduce this timeline.
Accelerated identification of drug candidate using predictive modeling and rapid screening
The approach adopted started with known neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-1virus, a strain of coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Using computational molecular modeling Sandia’s scientists predicted mutations to known SARS-CoV-1 antibodies that enable binding to and neutralize of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mutation predictions were then encoded using genetic engineering techniques into an experimental antibody library for screening. The resulting library is subsequently being tested in Sandia’s experimental virology laboratory for therapeutic efficacy.
A collaborative approach reducing discovery workflow timelines by 50%
This collaborative strategy generated approximately 100 million variants, containing all possible combinations of a set of predicted mutations. This large number of variants increased the chance of finding candidate therapeutic antibodies with the required properties. In addition, computer modeling combined with library generation and screening can be performed in about two months, which is half the time required by current methods.
Background image: A scanning electron microscope image that shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Credit: NIAID-RML
“The methodology developed has potential beyond the scope of the joint project. The combination of bioinformatics and high-throughput library generation and screening can be applied to future outbreaks, potentially providing therapies on a shorter timescale – ultimately helping reduce the medical, societal and economic burden of future epidemics.”
Courtney Nicholson
Senior Director, Business Development, Abcam
“The methodology developed has potential beyond the scope of the joint project. The combination of bioinformatics and high-throughput library generation and screening can be applied to future outbreaks, potentially providing therapies on a shorter timescale – ultimately helping reduce the medical, societal and economic burden of future epidemics.”
Courtney Nicholson
Senior Director, Business Development, Abcam
About Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
Learn more about Sandia technology partnerships: https://www.sandia.gov/working_with_sandia/technology_partnerships/index.html
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