Scientists have discovered a new antibody that neutralizes all COVID variants

COVID-19 (new coronavirus infectious disease) Vaccines were effective in keeping people from becoming seriously ill and dying from the virus, but they needed different boosters to deal with every coronavirus variant that emerged. found antibodies that neutralize all known COVID-19 variants.

This antibody, called SP1-77, is the result of a collaborative effort by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Duke University.The results of a mouse study they conducted were recently published in a journal scientific immunology, And they look promising.

But what exactly does it mean to have antibodies that can neutralize all variants of COVID-19, and how will this affect vaccines in the future? as follows.

What is SP1-77?

SP1-77 is an antibody developed by researchers that so far can neutralize all forms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was created after researchers modified a mouse model created to search for broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV.

The mice used in this study have a built-in human immune system that mimics how the immune system produces better antibodies when exposed to pathogens. Researchers have inserted two human gene segments into mice to create a variety of potential human-made antibodies. They then exposed the mice to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (which the virus uses to stick to cells) and generated nine different families of antibodies that bind to the spike protein and try to neutralize it. did.

These antibodies were then tested and one of them, SP1-77, was tested for alpha, beta, gamma, deltaand all Omicron strain COVID-19 (including the current epidemic).

This antibody works in a slightly different way than many of the antibodies people make to vaccines. For SARS-CoV-2 to infect, it must first attach to her ACE2 receptor inside the cell. Current COVID-19 vaccines block this binding from occurring by binding to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein at specific locations. press release A doctor at Boston Children’s Hospital explains.

The SP1-77 antibody also binds to RBD but does not prevent the virus from binding to the ACE2 receptor.What that do What should be done is to prevent the virus from fusing its outer membrane with the cell’s membrane. This is what it takes to make you sick.

“SP1-77 binds to the spike protein at a site not previously mutated in any variant and neutralizes these variants by a novel mechanism,” said study co-author Dr. Tomas Kirchhausen. . statement“These properties may contribute to its broad and powerful activity.”

What does this mean for the future of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments?

It’s not clear for now. Research on antibodies is ongoing, but it’s important to note that this study was done in mice, not humans.

“This is very early-stage proof-of-concept work showing that a mouse model can be used to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies,” said infectious disease expert and senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Amesh A. Adalja, MD said: “If such studies were replicated and scaled up, they could form the basis of new monoclonal antibody products and vaccines.”

Experts say a vaccine that could eliminate all variants of COVID-19 would definitely be welcome. said Thomas Russo, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Buffalo, New York. “It’s the holy grail of vaccines.”

This could mean that people may only need to get a COVID-19 shot or booster once a year or less often, depending on how long the vaccine protection lasts, Russo said. says Dr.

The researchers have applied for a patent on the SP1-77 antibody and a mouse model to make it, and if all goes well, they plan to make it available to the general public.