# Unraveling the bat humoral immune response against zoonotic viruses to guide the design of next-generation therapeutics

> **NIH NIH DP1** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $1,088,500

## Abstract

Cross-species transmission of pathogens is a major threat to public health worldwide and
accounts for 75% of emerging human infectious diseases. Bats act as asymptomatic reservoir
hosts for numerous zoonotic viruses, that are lethal in humans and for which no vaccines or
specific therapeutics exist, indicating that the chiropteran immune system can control these
viruses. Although there has been a recent growing interest in the peculiarities of bat innate
immunity, their humoral immune response remains unexplored at the molecular level despite its
known participation to fighting off pathogens. Previous studies revealed unusually fast bat B cell
proliferation, compared to other mammals, and an exceptional immunoglobulin combinatorial
diversity, suggesting a possible way these mammals successfully cope with an astounding
diversity of viruses. We propose that the long co-evolution of bats with viruses could have led to
the presence of highly specific immunoglobulin variable heavy chain segments playing a role in
successfully controlling pathogens and that bat antibodies represent an untapped source of viral
inhibitors. The proposed project will illuminate the role of bat humoral immunity in controlling
pathogen infections, identify novel therapeutics against zoonotic viruses and guide the
computational design of next-generation protein inhibitors of viral entry. This work will generate
tools to combat emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viruses, including some pathogens that have
not yet emerged or been discovered, and will be key to assist pandemic preparedness effort.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10240475
- **Project number:** 5DP1AI158186-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** David Veesler
- **Activity code:** DP1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,088,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10240475

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10240475, Unraveling the bat humoral immune response against zoonotic viruses to guide the design of next-generation therapeutics (5DP1AI158186-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10240475. Licensed CC0.

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