Polypeptides for treating and/or limiting influenza infection

Abstract

Polypeptides that recognize and are strong binders to Influenza A hemagglutinin and can be used, for example, to treat and/or limit development of an influenza infection are disclosed. Isolated nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides of the invention, recombinant expression vectors comprising the nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides of the invention operatively linked to a suitable control sequence, and recombinant host cells comprising the recombinant expression vectors of the invention are disclosed. Antibodies that selectively bind to the polypeptides of the invention, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more polypeptides according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier are disclosed. Additionally, methods for treating and/or limiting an influenza infection, methods for diagnosing an influenza infection, or monitoring progression of an influenza infection, methods for identifying candidate influenza vaccines, and methods for identifying candidate compounds for treating, limiting, and/or diagnosing influenza infection are disclosed.