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  • OUTLOOK

The genetic shortcut to antibody drugs

Insertion of genetic information can prompt the body to make antibody-based drugs, offering a fresh approach to treating diseases such as influenza, as well as infections like HIV.
  1. Amanda Keener

    1. Amanda Keener is a freelance science writer in Littleton, Colorado.

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Credit: Sam Falconer

Outbreaks of infectious disease are becoming more common in many parts of the world. Between 1980 and 2010, the number of outbreaks reported worldwide more than tripled every five years. Unexpected outbreaks caused by viruses such as Ebola and Zika have led researchers to seek faster and cheaper strategies for addressing pathogenic agents they know little about. These strategies include using laboratory-made, monoclonal antibodies that can immediately bind to and neutralize specific viruses or bacteria in a person who has been infected, but also protect, for a time, anyone who is likely to be exposed to a particular pathogenic species.

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Nature 564, S16-S17 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07645-x

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Gene therapy, an editorially independent supplement produced with the financial support of third parties. About this content.

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