Recombinant neutralizing secretory IgA antibodies for preventing mucosal carriage and transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Passive delivery of antibodies to mucosal sites might be a valuable adjunct to COVID-19 vaccination to prevent infection, treat viral carriage, or block transmission. However, monoclonal IgG antibody therapies, currently used for treatment of severe infections, are unlikely to prove useful in mucosal sites where SARS-CoV-2 resides and replicates in early infection. Here, we investigated the feasibility of producing neutralising monoclonal IgA antibodies against SARS-COV-2. We identified two class-switched mAbs that express well as monomeric and secretory IgA variants with retained antigen binding affinities and increased stability in mucosal secretions compared to their IgG counterparts. SIgAs had stronger virus neutralisation activities than IgG mAbs and were able to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in an in vivo murine model. Our findings provide a persuasive case for developing recombinant SIgAs for mucosal application as a new tool in the fight against COVID-19.