Mapping B-cell epitopes of hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein using human monoclonal antibodies from phage display libraries

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 glycoprotein (HCV/E2) is
the most promising candidate for the development of an effective anti-HCV vaccine. Identification of the human
epitopes that are conserved among isolates and are able to elicit protective antibodies would constitute a
significant step forward. This work describes the mapping of the B-cell epitopes present on the surface of
HCV/E2, as recognized by the immune system during infection, by the analysis of the reciprocal interactions
of a panel of human recombinant Fabs derived from an HCV-infected patient. Three unrelated epitopes
recognized by antibodies with no neutralization-of-binding (NOB) activity were identified; a fourth, major
epitope was defined as a clustering of minor epitopes recognized by Fabs endowed with strong NOB activity.