Will design antibodies against respiratory infections

Our airways are protected by special antibodies, IgA, that can prevent viruses from infecting us. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Charlotte Thålin is mapping these antibodies. The goal is to design IgA antibodies that provide effective protection from viruses and can prevent the spread of common colds and new airborne pandemics.

When studying antibodies, researchers have tended to concentrate on those found in our blood, IgG antibodies. Our airways have a different type of antibody, secretory IgA, and less is known about how these antibodies protect us at the respiratory mucosa.

To close the knowledge gap about respiratory IgA antibodies, Professor Charlotte Thålin, Karolinska Institutet, has collected blood and nasal secretions from 2,000 healthcare workers at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm over a five-year period. She will now study these antibodies in detail and investigate the link between IgA profiles and the susceptibility to infection.

A key part of this project is understanding which carbohydrates, called glycans, are attached to the antibodies’ surfaces. Both the structure of the antibody and the glycans are believed to determine how effective they are in protection against infections. Thålin’s long-term aim is to design next-generation IgA-based theori that can prevent respiratory infections. The hope is to develop a nasal spray or inhaler that can counteract not only common colds and influenza, but also future airborne pandemics.

Photo: Patrik Lundin