Bold claim: A breakthrough antibody could curb Epstein-Barr virus, a pathogen that infects the vast majority of people worldwide and is linked to several cancers and other illnesses. But here’s where it gets controversial: how close is this to a real, usable therapy for patients at highest risk?
SEATTLE – February 17, 2026 – Researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center have achieved a pivotal advance in stopping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a pathogen estimated to infect about 95% of people globally and associated with multiple cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and other chronic conditions.
In a study using mice engineered with human antibody genes, the team created novel human monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies prevent two critical EBV surface antigens from attaching to and entering human immune cells. The findings, published in Cell Reports Medicine, highlight one monoclonal antibody that successfully blocked EBV infection in mice that carry humanized immune systems when challenged with the virus.
“We’ve long found it difficult to identify human antibodies that block EBV from infecting our immune cells, because EBV has a knack for binding to nearly every B cell,” explains Andrew McGuire, PhD, a biochemist and cellular biologist in Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division. “We decided to use new technologies to fill this gap, and we’ve taken a meaningful step toward hindering one of the world’s most common viruses.”
A novel scientific approach sheds light on a long-standing puzzle
A central hurdle was developing human monoclonal antibodies that could stop EBV infection without provoking anti-drug responses—the kind of reaction that often accompanies antibodies raised in non-human sources. The team focused on two EBV surface proteins: gp350, which helps the virus bind to cell receptors, and gp42, which enables EBV to enter cells through fusion. Using an innovative mouse model with human antibody genes, the researchers identified two monoclonal antibodies targeting gp350 and eight targeting gp42.
“We didn’t just find important antibodies against EBV; we also demonstrated a new method that could uncover protective antibodies against other pathogens,” says Crystal Chhan, a pathobiology PhD student in the McGuire Lab. “As an early-career scientist, this was an exciting result that showed how science can lead to surprising discoveries.”
With support from Fred Hutch’s Antibody Tech Core, further analyses revealed vulnerable sites that could inform future vaccine design. In the final part of the study, one gp42-targeting monoclonal antibody prevented EBV infection, while a gp350-targeting antibody offered partial protection.
Hope for patients at the highest risk from EBV
Each year, more than 128,000 people in the United States undergo solid organ or bone marrow transplants. At present, there are no specific therapies to prevent EBV from infecting or reactivating in patients who are immunosuppressed due to transplantation. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are a serious and sometimes life-threatening form of lymphoma driven by unchecked EBV infection.
“PTLD, most of which are EBV-associated lymphomas, is a common cause of illness and death after organ transplantation,” notes Rachel Bender Ignacio, MD, MPH, an associate professor of infectious disease at Fred Hutch and the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Preventing EBV viremia has strong potential to reduce PTLD, lessen the need to reduce immunosuppression, protect graft function, and improve overall outcomes. There remains a significant unmet need for effective EBV prevention in transplant medicine.”
Transplant recipients can become infected if a donor carries latent EBV or if latent virus reactivates in the recipient under immunosuppression. Children undergoing immunosuppression may particularly benefit from a targeted EBV prevention therapy, since a larger share have not yet been exposed to EBV.
Looking ahead
The researchers envision a future therapy in which a patient receives an infusion of these monoclonal antibodies to prevent EBV-driven PTLD in those at highest risk. Fred Hutch has filed for intellectual property related to the monoclonal antibodies studied, and McGuire and Chhan are collaborating with scientific partners and an industry ally to advance toward a therapy for immunocompromised patients. If safety looks good in healthy adult volunteers, the therapy could move into trials in the affected patient populations.
“There’s real momentum to translate this discovery into a therapy that could make a meaningful difference for transplant patients,” says McGuire. “After years of searching for a viable way to protect against EBV, this marks a significant milestone for the scientific community and those most at risk.”
Public release note: This material was prepared by the originating organization and may reflect point-in-time information. For full details, see the linked source.
Would you be interested in a future therapy that uses monoclonal antibodies to prevent EBV-related complications in transplant patients? Share your take in the comments: should preventive antibody therapies be standard care for high-risk groups, or do concerns about cost, accessibility, and long-term safety require more evidence first? And if you were designing a public health strategy, what other high-risk scenarios would you prioritize for EBV prevention?
