Passive protection against rotavirus-induced diarrhea by monoclonal antibodies to the heterotypic neutralization domain of VP7 and the VP8 fragment of VP4.

A murine model was used to determine whether neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with heterotypic specificity directed to VP7 (MAb 57-8) or to the VP8 fragment of VP4 (MAb M14) passively protect mice against challenge with various strains of rotavirus. (The gene 4 product, an outer capsid protein, has traditionally been called VP3. It has been proposed, however, that the rotavirus gene 4 product be named VP4. The gene 3 product, a core protein, has been identified recently and named VP3 [M. Liu, P. A. Offit, and M. K. Estes, Virology 163:28-32, 1988]). Suckling mice orally inoculated with MAb 57-8 did not develop diarrhea when challenged with virulent serotype 3, 4, or 6 rotaviruses, while those inoculated with MAb M14 were passively protected from challenge with serotype 3 or 6 rotaviruses, as predicted by in vitro neutralization tests. These MAbs, however, did not protect mice from infection when the mice were challenged with rotaviruses of other serotypes. We conclude that specific neutralization epitopes on each surface protein are capable of mediating protection against one or several rotavirus serotypes.