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LONDON :
The researchers have identified a fully human monoclonal antibody that prevents the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) from infecting cultured cells.
The discovery, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, is an initial step toward developing an all-human antibody to treat or prevent COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, infecting more than 3.3 million people worldwide and killing more than 235,000 people so far.
This research from Utrecht University, Erasmus Medical Center and Harbor BioMed (HBM) builds on past work on antibodies to SARS-CoV that emerged in 2002/2003.
“Using this collection of antibodies against SARS-CoV, we identified an antibody that also neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 infection in cultured cells,” said study co-author Berend-Jan Bosch, an associate professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
“Such a neutralizing antibody has the potential to alter the course of infection in the infected host, support virus clearance, or protect an uninfected individual who is exposed to the virus,” added Bosch.
The researchers noted that the antibody binds to a domain that is conserved in both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, which explains its ability to neutralize both viruses.
This cross-neutralizing characteristic of the antibody is very interesting and suggests that it may have potential to mitigate future coronavirus-related illnesses that arise, Bosch said.
This discovery provides a solid basis for further research to characterize this antibody and begins development as a possible COVID-19 treatment.
“The antibody used in this work is ‘all-human’, allowing development to proceed more quickly and reducing the potential for immune-related side effects,” said study co-author Frank Grosveld.
According to the researchers, conventional therapeutic antibodies are first developed in other species and then need to undergo additional work to ‘humanize’ them.
The antibody was generated using Harbor BioMed’s H2L2 transgenic mouse technology.
“This is groundbreaking research. Much more work is needed to assess whether this antibody can protect or reduce the severity of disease in humans,” said Dr. Jingsong Wang, founder, president and CEO of Harbor BioMed.
“We look forward to advancing antibody development with partners. We believe that our technology can contribute to addressing this urgent public health need and we are looking for other avenues of research,” said Wang.
