A Panel of Human Monoclonal Antibodies for Tracking the Antigenic Evolution of Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b
- 1Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Abstract
The ongoing panzootic of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 influenza has driven widespread transmission among birds, mammals, and livestock, underscoring the need for tools to interpret its rapid antigenic evolution. Here, we generated and characterized 19 human monoclonal antibodies that potently neutralize clade 2.3.4.4b viruses and collectively recognize five major, partially overlapping antigenic regions of the H5 hemagglutinin. Neutralization profiling and structural analyses revealed distinct patterns of antibody breadth and escape, identifying both clade 2.3.4.4b restricted and broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting conserved surfaces across divergent H5N1 lineages. By incorporating these antibodies into an expanded 32-mAb reference panel, we identified antibody-defined antigenic differences among recent human isolates between cattle-associated B3.13 and poultry-associated D1.1 genotypes. Together, this study establishes a structurally informed, epitope-resolved H5 hemagglutinin antibody reference panel for interpreting emerging HA mutations and monitoring antigenic changes in circulating H5 viruses.
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BibTeX
@misc{hong2026panel,
title = {{A Panel of Human Monoclonal Antibodies for Tracking the Antigenic Evolution of Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b}},
author = {H. Hong and N. C. Morano and M. Wu and S. Chong and J. Yu and Y. Huang and M. S. Nair and Z. Li and C.-C. Tzang and J. E. Becker and C. Wang and L. Shapiro and P. D. Kwong and Y. Guo and D. D. Ho},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.64898/2026.05.14.725215},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.14.725215v2},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Panel of Human Monoclonal Antibodies for Tracking the Antigenic Evolution of Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b
AU - H. Hong
AU - N. C. Morano
AU - M. Wu
AU - S. Chong
AU - J. Yu
AU - Y. Huang
AU - M. S. Nair
AU - Z. Li
AU - C.-C. Tzang
AU - J. E. Becker
AU - C. Wang
AU - L. Shapiro
AU - P. D. Kwong
AU - Y. Guo
AU - D. D. Ho
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/14
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.05.14.725215
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.14.725215v2
AB - The ongoing panzootic of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 influenza has driven widespread transmission among birds, mammals, and livestock, underscoring the need for tools to interpret its rapid antigenic evolution. Here, we generated and characterized 19 human monoclonal antibodies that potently neutralize clade 2.3.4.4b viruses and collectively recognize five major, partially overlapping antigenic regions of the H5 hemagglutinin. Neutralization profiling and structural analyses revealed distinct patterns of antibody breadth and escape, identifying both clade 2.3.4.4b restricted and broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting conserved surfaces across divergent H5N1 lineages. By incorporating these antibodies into an expanded 32-mAb reference panel, we identified antibody-defined antigenic differences among recent human isolates between cattle-associated B3.13 and poultry-associated D1.1 genotypes. Together, this study establishes a structurally informed, epitope-resolved H5 hemagglutinin antibody reference panel for interpreting emerging HA mutations and monitoring antigenic changes in circulating H5 viruses.
ER -