Single-dose injection of human neutralizing antibody against ZIKV preserves male fertility and protects against lethal infection.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus. Unlike other flavivirus members, ZIKV has a distinct tropism for the reproductive system. Previous studies have demonstrated that ZIKV has adverse impacts on the male reproductive system, particularly in testis and epididymis. However, no specific prophylactic and therapeutic agents are available against ZIKV till now. A human monoclonal antibody, 2B10, has been shown to be protective against microcephaly. Here, we intraperitoneally administered a single injection of 2B10 after ZIKV infection to explore its therapeutic potential on viral damage in testis and epididymis in both IFN-α/β and IFN-γ receptor-deficient (AG6) mouse and IFN-α/β receptor-deficient (A6) mouse models. The results showed that 2B10 significantly decreased the viremia and viral loads in organs in two types of male mice, markedly mitigated ZIKV-induced histo-morphologic disruption and inflammatory infiltration and maintained hormone levels. The integrity of tight junctions in the testis and epididymis was also maintained at normal levels by 2B10 administration. In long-term observation in ZIKV-infected A6 mice, 2B10 could confer effective protection of male fertility. In the AG6 model, 2B10 fully protected mice from lethal challenge. These results suggested that 2B10 provides effective protection in post-exposure therapy for ZIKV infection in mice. Since 2B10 is a human antibody, it might be a promising intervention candidate for maintaining male reproductive health during ZIKV infection in the endemic area.