In what appeared to be a major development in fight against coronavirus, scientists have claimed to discover an antibody that blocks infection by coronavirus within the body.
It is pertinent to mention here that overall 3.53 million people have been affected from coronavirus globally including 248,000 who died while fighting out against the infection.
According to a researchers at Utrecht University, the antibody, known as 47D11, targets the deadly virus’s infamous ‘spike protein’, which it uses to hook onto cells and insert its genetic material.
Tests in mice cells showed that 47D11 binds to this protein and prevents it from hooking on – effectively neutralising it.
Researchers said the antibody, if injected into humans, could alter the ‘course of infection’ or protect an uninfected person exposed to someone with the virus.
The European research team identified the antibody from 51 cell lines from mice that had been engineered to carry human genes.
The antibody targets the novel coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak, known as SARS-CoV-1.
However, scientists claim that it can also neutralise SARS-CoV-2, which is from the same family of coronaviruses as SARS-CoV-1.
‘This research builds on the work our groups have done in the past on antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV that emerged in 2002/2003,’ said co-lead author Professor Berend-Jan Bosch at Utrecht University.
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‘Using this collection of SARS-CoV antibodies, we identified an antibody that also neutralises infection of SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells.
‘Such a neutralising antibody has potential to alter the course of infection in the infected host, support virus clearance or protect an uninfected individual that is exposed to the virus.’
Dr Bosch added that the antibody’s ability to neutralise both strains of SARS-CoV suggests that it may have potential in mitigation of diseases caused by future emerging coronaviruses.
