Antibody-Based Biologics and Their Promise to Combat Staphylococcus aureus Infections

The growing incidence of serious infections mediated by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains poses a significant risk to public health. This risk is exacerbated by a prolonged void in the discovery and development of truly novel antibiotics and the absence of a vaccine. These gaps have created renewed interest in the use of biologics in the prevention and treatment of serious staphylococcal infections. In this review, we focus on efforts towards the discovery and development of antibody-based biologic agents and their potential as clinical agents in the management of serious S. aureus infections. Recent promising data for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting anthrax and Ebola highlight the potential of antibody-based biologics as therapeutic agents for serious infections.

TrendsCommunity-onset invasive infections mediated by Staphylococcus aureus are a growing concern in global healthcare.The paucity of novel antibiotics for the treatment of serious invasive diseases caused by S. aureus has spurred renewed interest in the discovery and development of alternate therapies, including antibody-based biologic agents.Past failures in the clinical development of anti-staphylococcal antibodies for the treatment and prevention of S. aureus infections have focused on single antigens displayed at the bacterial cell surface.Two antibody-based biologic agents currently under clinical evaluation target the secreted virulence factor, alpha-hemolysin.A series of novel approaches is being explored towards the discovery and development of antibody-based biologic agents that target multiple S. aureus antigens, including host immune evasion factors and intracellular reservoirs of the bacterium.