# Impact of cellular proteases on the function of antiviral antibodies

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how viruses use host proteases to evade the body's antiviral antibodies, reducing their effectiveness.

## Contribution

The paper synthesizes current evidence on the role of host proteases in viral antibody evasion mechanisms.

## Key findings

- Host proteases can degrade or shed viral antigens, creating soluble decoys.
- Proteolysis can hinder Fc-effector functions by cleaving Fc receptors and complement proteins.
- Viruses exploit host proteases to reduce antibody-mediated clearance and neutralization.

## Abstract

Viruses evade antibodies through many mechanisms. While mutation remains the predominant pathway, host proteases can be hijacked upon viral infections and decrease antibody-mediated clearance. Proteolysis can degrade or shed viral antigens to create soluble decoys, induce conformational changes that reduce neutralization, and cleave Fc receptors and complement proteins, hindering Fc-effector antibody functions. This review synthesizes evidence on the interplay between viruses and host proteases to evade antiviral activities of antibodies.