[BostonCard]

Question on the Regeneron treatment:  I have seen it referred to both as monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.   WHich is correct?   and if there is a reference on the difference, I'd be curious.

It is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies (probably the reason for the confusion).  "Polyclonal" antibodies are unselected; they are roughly what you get from convalescent plasma, but the downside is that it is a very inefficient process.  There are companies that have engineered large animals (horses, for example) to create human-like antibodies when injected with a relevant antigen.  These can then be harvested and purified, and don't require volunteers.

Monoclonal antibodies are selected by finding the individual antibodies that have a high binding affinity to the virus and are neutralizing (can prevent the virus from entering cells).  Regeneron selected two monoclonal antibodies, which decreases the chance that the virus develops resistance by mutating one of the amino acids at the antibody binding site.

BC

[BostonCard]

Question on the Regeneron treatment:  I have seen it referred to both as monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.   WHich is correct?   and if there is a reference on the difference, I'd be curious.

It is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies (probably the reason for the confusion).  "Polyclonal" antibodies are unselected; they are roughly what you get from convalescent plasma, but the downside is that it is a very inefficient process.  There are companies that have engineered large animals (horses, for example) to create human-like antibodies when injected with a relevant antigen.  These can then be harvested and purified, and don't require volunteers.

Monoclonal antibodies are selected by finding the individual antibodies that have a high binding affinity to the virus and are neutralizing (can prevent the virus from entering cells).  Regeneron selected two monoclonal antibodies, which decreases the chance that the virus develops resistance by mutating one of the amino acids at the antibody binding site.

BC