BERLIN: Scientists have identified highly effective antibodies against the new coronavirus, which they say may lead to the development of a passive vaccine for Covid-19.
Unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of pre-made antibodies, which degrade after some time.
However, the effect of a passive vaccine is almost immediate, whereas with an active vaccine it has to accumulate first, the researchers said.
The research, published in the journal Cell, also shows that some SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bind to tissue samples from various organs, potentially triggering unwanted side effects.
Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Charite – Universitatsmediz in Berlin isolated almost 600 different antibodies from the blood of individuals who had overcome Covid-19, the disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2.
Through laboratory tests, they were able to reduce this number to a few antibodies that were particularly effective at binding to the virus.
The researchers then artificially produced these antibodies using cell cultures.
So-called neutralizing antibodies bind to the virus, as revealed by crystallographic analysis, and thus prevent the pathogen from entering cells and reproducing, they said.
In addition, the recognition of the virus by the antibodies helps the immune cells to eliminate the pathogen. Studies in hamsters, which, like humans, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed the high efficacy of the selected antibodies.
“If the antibodies were administered after an infection, the hamsters developed at most mild symptoms of the disease. If the antibodies were applied preventively, before infection, the animals would not get sick, ”said Jakob Kreye, coordinator of the research project.
The researchers noted that the treatment of infectious diseases with antibodies has a long history.
For Covid-19, this approach is also being investigated by administering plasma derived from the blood of recovered patients. With plasma, donor antibodies are transferred, they said.
“Ideally, the most effective antibody is produced in a controlled manner on an industrial scale and in constant quality. This is the goal we are pursuing,” said Momsen Reincke, first author of the research.
“Three of our antibodies are particularly promising for clinical development,” explained Harald Pruss, leader of the DZNE research group and also a senior physician at Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin.
“Using these antibodies, we have begun to develop a passive vaccine against SARS-CoV-2,” Pruss said.
In addition to treating patients, the preventive protection of healthy people who have had contact with infected people is also a potential application, the researchers said.
The duration of protection will have to be investigated in clinical studies, they said.
“This is because, unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of prepared antibodies, which degrade after some time,” Pruss said. In general, the protection provided by a passive vaccine is less persistent than that provided by an active vaccine, the researchers said.
“It would be better if both options were available so that a flexible response could be given depending on the situation,” Pruss added.
Unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of pre-made antibodies, which degrade after some time.
However, the effect of a passive vaccine is almost immediate, whereas with an active vaccine it has to accumulate first, the researchers said.
The research, published in the journal Cell, also shows that some SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bind to tissue samples from various organs, potentially triggering unwanted side effects.
Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Charite – Universitatsmediz in Berlin isolated almost 600 different antibodies from the blood of individuals who had overcome Covid-19, the disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2.
Through laboratory tests, they were able to reduce this number to a few antibodies that were particularly effective at binding to the virus.
The researchers then artificially produced these antibodies using cell cultures.
So-called neutralizing antibodies bind to the virus, as revealed by crystallographic analysis, and thus prevent the pathogen from entering cells and reproducing, they said.
In addition, the recognition of the virus by the antibodies helps the immune cells to eliminate the pathogen. Studies in hamsters, which, like humans, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed the high efficacy of the selected antibodies.
“If the antibodies were administered after an infection, the hamsters developed at most mild symptoms of the disease. If the antibodies were applied preventively, before infection, the animals would not get sick, ”said Jakob Kreye, coordinator of the research project.
The researchers noted that the treatment of infectious diseases with antibodies has a long history.
For Covid-19, this approach is also being investigated by administering plasma derived from the blood of recovered patients. With plasma, donor antibodies are transferred, they said.
“Ideally, the most effective antibody is produced in a controlled manner on an industrial scale and in constant quality. This is the goal we are pursuing,” said Momsen Reincke, first author of the research.
“Three of our antibodies are particularly promising for clinical development,” explained Harald Pruss, leader of the DZNE research group and also a senior physician at Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin.
“Using these antibodies, we have begun to develop a passive vaccine against SARS-CoV-2,” Pruss said.
In addition to treating patients, the preventive protection of healthy people who have had contact with infected people is also a potential application, the researchers said.
The duration of protection will have to be investigated in clinical studies, they said.
“This is because, unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of prepared antibodies, which degrade after some time,” Pruss said. In general, the protection provided by a passive vaccine is less persistent than that provided by an active vaccine, the researchers said.
“It would be better if both options were available so that a flexible response could be given depending on the situation,” Pruss added.
.
