Abstract
In the current worldwide pandemic situation caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the newest coronavirus disease (COVID-19), therapeutics and prophylactics are urgently needed for a large population. Some of the prophylaxis strategies are based on the development of antibodies targeting viral proteins. IgY antibodies are a type of immunoglobulin present in birds, amphibians, and reptiles. They are usually obtained from egg yolk of hyper-immunized hens and represent a relatively inexpensive source of antibodies. Specific IgY can be produced by immunizing chickens with the target antigen and then purifying from the egg yolk. Chicken IgY has been widely explored as a clinical anti-infective material for prophylaxis, preventive medicine, and therapy of infectious diseases. Administered non-systemically, IgY antibodies are safe and effective drugs. Moreover, passive immunization with avian antibodies could become an effective alternative therapy, as these can be obtained relatively simply, cost-efficiently, and produced on a large scale. Here, we highlight the potential use of polyclonal avian IgY antibodies as an oral prophylactic treatment for respiratory viral diseases, such as COVID-19, for which no vaccine is yet available.
Highlights
In December 2019, a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown cause appeared in Wuhan, Hubei
While waiting for a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection, avian heterologous antibodies obtained through so-called IgY technology could be helpful to prevent or treat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 infections
Many prophylactic treatments, including the desirable vaccines, are based on the development of host antibodies since they are proteins with high specificity and capable of neutralizing the virus or helping to eliminate it [104,105]
Summary
In December 2019, a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown cause appeared in Wuhan, Hubei This new agent was quickly identified as a novel coronavirus, named as SARS-CoV-2 and the disease as COVID-19. Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with more than 23 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including more than 800 thousand deaths, reported to the WHO This disease has caused a dramatic healthcare challenge as there is no clinically approved drug or antiviral vaccine against COVID-19. Avian antibodies could be a good alternative as they offer several advantages over mammalian antibodies and are cost-effective In this case, birds, such as hens, are not vaccinated for disease prevention purposes. We here review the use of avian antibodies for the treatment and prevention of viral diseases and propose its potential use for an oral prophylactic treatment for COVID-19
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