Mpox (formally Monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the Monkeypox virus and can infect both humans and animals. Interestingly, this is part of the viral family linked to smallpox. Patients that contract mpox experience rashes, fever, headache, chills, fatigue, nasal congestion, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses symptoms become severe and potentially fatal. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mpox and treatment usually involves symptom management. While some medications can be used to mitigate symptoms, there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antiviral medication.
Mpox prevalence is increasing with more than 100,000 documented cases in over 100 countries. There are two forms of the virus including clade I and clade II. Fortunately, both act similarly and can be treated using the same treatment methods. Different regions throughout the world have indicated spikes in one subset of the disease versus the other. For example, there are over 40,000 clade I mpox cases in Central and Eastern Africa with an spike of clade II mpox in West Africa. Travel-associated clade I/II mpox cases have been reported in Europe, Australia, and North/South America. The slow rise of mpox has resulted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnering with other governmental agencies across the world to monitor and prevent an outbreak. In the United States, there have been steady reports of clade I and II mpox. Consequently, the CDC is working to raise awareness, provide information to the public, monitor cases, and work at different levels of government to contain the spread. Currently, scientists are conducting studies to improve mpox treatment efficacy to avoid rapid outbreaks and improve quality of life in patients.
A recent article in Cell, by Dr. Camila Coelho and others have recently discovered three antibodies that could improve stand-of-care treatment for mpox patients. These three antibodies were isolated from a patient with mpox and has shown significant promise that targets mpox-specific proteins. Coelho is an Assistant Professor in the Microbiology Department at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai. Her primary work focuses on the response of immune cells on vaccines. This research encompasses a wide range of topics including emerging diseases that are less well-known, including mpox.
Researchers found that these three antibodies targeted the viral protein A35, which blocked viral spread of mpox. Consequently, studies done in animals found that targeting this protein prevented disease progression and death. Further findings reveal that patients that previously recovered from mpox commonly carry these antibodies in their blood and are less likely to visit the hospital or contract severe symptoms, if infected a second time. The antibodies were found to bind to a viral region that is similar across many viruses in the mpox and smallpox family. This is critical because these antibodies have the potential to target a wide array of viruses, which could offer significant therapeutic benefit to patients.
Coelho and her team are the first to report the structure of a human antibody that can bind to the mpox viral protein. As a result, they have provided a detailed map that outlines the virus’ vulnerability and how to better target the infection. This study has major implications on the current treatment for patients with mpox but can also apply to other viruses with similar structures. Overall, this report provides a major advancement in viral biology and has the potential to significantly improve mpox therapy.