Fc-engineered antibodies enhance protection against SARS-CoV-2 lung infection and inflammation

. IMPORTANCE: Although therapeutic antibodies had success in protecting vulnerable individuals from severe COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic, many lost effectiveness as SARS-CoV-2 accumulated mutations that compromised neutralizing activity. Our experiments show that antibody protection against SARS-CoV-2 strains can be enhanced by genetically engineering the Fc region or altering its N-linked glycosylation to improve interactions with FcγRs on host immune cells. Modified versions of S309, the parent of the clinically used sotrovimab antibody, more effectively reduce viral burden and inflammation in the lung and shape protective transcriptional responses, which, together, result in improved lung ventilatory function and outcome after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, antibody engineering can serve as a strategy to enhance therapeutic activity against rapidly evolving viruses with the potential to escape neutralization.