Newly discovered antibody neutralizes nearly all known COVID-19 variants

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Newly discovered antibody neutralizes nearly all known COVID-19 variants

Newly discovered antibody neutralizes nearly all known COVID-19 variants.

A new study published in Science Advances reports the discovery of highly potent antibodies capable of neutralizing nearly all known variants of the COVID-19 virus, including the Omicron virus, and others that may lead to future Outbreak of potent animal coronavirus.

Newly discovered antibody neutralizes nearly all known COVID-19 variants

An international team of scientists from Duke University-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, the University of Melbourne in Australia and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States carried out the study.

They extracted antibodies from the blood of a patient who recovered from SARS and was subsequently vaccinated against COVID-19. The unique combination of prior infection with a coronavirus and subsequent vaccination produces an antibody response so broad and potent that it blocks testing for nearly all related coronaviruses.

“We tried to address the lack of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to treat and prevent high-risk COVID-19 patients,” explained senior author Prof. Linfa Wang, a world-renowned expert on bat viruses from Duke-NUS’ Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Program, Because all previously approved monoclonal antibodies have lost efficacy against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. This work provides encouraging evidence that pan-coronavirus disease can be reduced if the human immune system can be ‘educated’ in the right way . A virus vaccine is possible.”

Newly published research describes how six antibodies were obtained that can neutralize a variety of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, its variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, the original SARS virus, and viruses from bats and pangolins. A variety of other animal coronaviruses transmitted.

First author Dr. Chia Wan Ni was a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Wang’s lab and is now working at a start-up CoV Biotech in Singapore.

The most powerful antibody, named E7, neutralizes both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 seabuckthorn viruses, animal seabuckthorn viruses, and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants such as Omicron XBB.1.16.

The study showed that it uses a unique binding mechanism to neutralize the coronavirus’s spike protein, the two parts that coronaviruses use to invade cells.

This appears to lock the spike protein into an inactive conformation, preventing the deformation process required for the virus to infect cells and cause disease.

“The neutralizing potency and breadth of the E7 antibody surpassed any other SARS-associated coronavirus antibody we encountered. It remained active even against the latest Omicron subvariant, whereas most other antibodies would lose potency,” Dr. Chia noted. .”

The findings help reveal the coronavirus’s weak points and provide a template for designing vaccines and drugs to counter COVID-19 variants and future coronavirus threats.

Professor Wang said: “This work shows that it is possible to induce broadly gross virus-neutralizing antibodies — only the correct immunogen sequence and administration method are required. This brings hope to the design of a universal coronavirus vaccine.”

The E7 antibody has great potential to neutralize future Sabeviruses and could be a powerful asset to help prevent the next Sabevirus-caused pandemic. The researchers plan to further evaluate the antibody’s potential as a preventive and therapeutic drug for existing and future coronaviruses.

Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Associate Dean for Research at Duke-NUS Medical School, said: “This collaboration led by Professor Wang and his team expands our ability to defend against the current coronavirus threat to human health and possible new viruses in the future. capabilities.” Professor Patrick Tan, Associate Dean for Advanced Research at Duke-NUS Medical School, said: “This highlights the critical role that basic science research plays in advancing knowledge with the goal of discovering new ways to transform medicine and improve lives .