Human antibodies from immunized donors are protective against anthrax toxin in vivo

Abstract

A panel of Fabs that neutralize anthrax toxin in vitro was selected from libraries generated from human donors vaccinated against anthrax. At least two of these antibodies protect rats from anthrax intoxication in vivo. Fabs 83K7C and 63L1D bind with subnanomolar affinity to protective antigen (PA) 63, and Fab 63LID neutralizes toxin substoichiometrically, inhibits lethal factor (LF) interaction with PA63 and binds to a conformational epitope formed by PA63.