Therapeutic efficacy of humanized monoclonal antibodies targeting dengue virus nonstructural protein 1 in the mouse model.

Dengue virus (DENV) which infects about 390 million people per year in tropical and subtropical areas manifests various disease symptoms, ranging from fever to life-threatening hemorrhage and even shock. To date, there is still no effective treatment for DENV disease, but only supportive care. DENV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) has been shown to play a key role in disease pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that anti-DENV NS1 antibody can provide disease protection by blocking the DENV-induced disruption of endothelial integrity. We previously demonstrated that anti-NS1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) protected mice from all four serotypes of DENV challenge. Here, we generated humanized anti-NS1 mAbs and transferred them to mice after DENV infection. The results showed that DENV-induced prolonged bleeding time and skin hemorrhage were reduced, even several days after DENV challenge. Mechanistic studies showed the ability of humanized anti-NS1 mAbs to inhibit NS1-induced vascular hyperpermeability and to elicit Fcγ-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis as well as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of cells infected with four serotypes of DENV. These results highlight humanized anti-NS1 mAb as a potential therapeutic agent in DENV infection.

Enhancing transdermal drug delivery with electroporation.

The application of electroporation to enhance transdermal delivery has opened up a new possibility to introduce larger molecules such as peptide hormones and vaccines as well as minigenes and RNAi etc. through the transdermal route. Many devices have been developed to deliver the pulse electric field needed to permeate the skin. These devices include both non-puncturing surface electrodes as well as puncturing electrodes of different geometrical arrangements. The latter type uses electroporation only to increase uptake of molecules injected through the puncturing electrode or syringe. Different electroporation protocols have been developed to maximize transport, uptake and minimizing pain. Synergistic effect of chemical enhancers and physical (sonic, vibrational and thermal) treatments are used to enhance the transport. This article reviews the patents pertaining to the instrumentation as well as application protocols of transdermal delivery, uptake enhancement and interstitial fluid sampling by electroporation.