Optimization of Antibodies (Ravetch)

Antibodies are made of a highly variable ?front end? by which they bind very specific targets, and a “back end” Fc portion that binds to specific immune cells via receptors that are specific for Fc. Immunologist Jeffrey Ravetch discovered that modifying the Fc portion of antibodies can drastically change the effects antibodies have when they bind immune cells. He will study antibodies made by people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 to determine which Fc variants are best capable of eliminating virus, and ensuring that Fc’s that can inhibit viral neutralization do not move into the clinic. His group has also produced mice with humanized Fc receptors that can be used in conjunction with humanized ACE2 (the receptor by which SARS-CoV-2 enters cells) to produce an infectious model that can test in vivo the effect of different Fc modifications on the immune response. Jeffrey Ravetch Jeffrey.Ravetch@rockefeller.edu 212-327-8000