Neutralization of Virus

Viral-specific antibodies of any class that bind to particular epitopes on the surface protein of a virion are capable of neutralizing the infectivity of the virion. Classical neutralization results when antibody binds to the virion and thereby prevents infection of a susceptible cell. The mechanisms of virus neutralization are not fully understood. Neutralization is not simply a matter of coating the virion with antibody, nor indeed of blocking attachment to the host cell. In fact, neutralized virions generally bind to their receptor on susceptible cells (1 ,2 ). The block to infection may occur at any point following adsorption and entry: Studies on the neutralization of influenza virus have shown that its neutralization by certain monoclonal antibodies is not mediated through inhibition of attachment, penetration, uncoating, or transport of the viral genome to the nucleus (3 ), illustrating the complexity of virus neutralization.