Monoclonal antibody immunotherapy in nude mice persistently infected with CRyptosporidium parvum

Abstract

Three groups of congenitally athymic nude mice were persistently infected following oral administration of 2 x 107 Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Two groups were treated once daily for 10 days with either neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) 17.41 or an isotype control MAb. The third group received no treatment. Intestinal-infection scores were significantly decreased in nude mice treated with MAb 17.41 compared with isotype control MAb-treated and nontreated control groups (P < 0.005). biliary and pancreatic crytosporidial-infection cores were similar for the MAb 17.41-treated and isotype control MAb-treated groups (P > 0.05).