Recombinant Human Polyclonal Antibodies: A New Class of Therapeutic Antibodies Against Viral Infections

The mammalian immune system eliminates pathogens by generating a specific antibody response. Polyclonality is a key feature of this immune response: the immune system produces antibodies which bind to different structures on a given pathogen thereby increasing the likelihood of its elimination. The vast majority of current recombinant antibody drugs rely on monospecific monoclonal antibodies. Inherently, such antibodies do not represent the benefits of polyclonality utilized by a natural immune system and this has impeded the identification of efficacious antibody drugs against infectious agents, including viruses. The development of novel technologies has allowed the identification and manufacturing of antigen-specific recombinant polyclonal human antibodies, so-called symphobodies. This review describes the rationale for designing drugs based on symphobodies against pathogenic viruses, including HIV, vaccinia and smallpox virus, and respiratory syncytial virus.