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This antibody component, which is up to 10 times smaller than a whole antibody, has been used in the construction of a drug that has been given the working name Ab8 and has the potential to become a treatment and prevention tool. for SARS-CoV-2.
Scientists on September 14. An article in the journal Cell states that Ab8 is very effective in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and in treating an existing infection. It is true that so far the study has only been conducted in mice and hamsters.
The small size of the molecule not only increases its ability to distribute itself in tissues, thus increasing the ability to neutralize larger amounts of virions, but it also allows the drug to be administered in a variety of ways, including inhalations. Importantly, Ab8 does not bind to healthy human cells, which is a good indication of the safety of the product in clinical trials.
The Ab8 molecule was evaluated by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in conjunction with researchers from the University of North Carolina, the Department of Medicine at the University of Texas and the University of British Columbia, and the University of Saskatchewan (all in the United States) .
“Ab8 not only has therapeutic potential against COVID019, but it could also be used as a preventive measure against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Larger antibodies have been effective against other communicable diseases and have been well tolerated, so we hope this will be an effective treatment for patients who already have COVID-19 and a preventative measure for people who have never had this infection and they are not immune to it, ”he said. study co-author dr. John Mellors of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
The small antibody component is part of the immunoglobulin variable heavy (VH) chain. Immunoglobulins are antibodies found in the bloodstream. Scientists “captured” the Ab8 molecule in a pond that contained more than 100 billion. potential candidates for a threat of viral infection. The bait for this “fishery” was the coniferous protein of SARS-CoV-2.
The Ab8 molecule is formed when the VH domain of an immunoglobulin binds to the “tail” of the immunoglobulin. In this way, the full-size antibody is given a specific immune function, although only small fragments of the antibody enter the body.
Lead author of an article published by Cell, dr. Dimiter Dimitrov, director of the Center for Antibody Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh, was one of the first scientists to discover the first antibodies that neutralized the SARS virus in 2003. In later years, he and his colleagues discovered several powerful antibodies against many other infectious diseases, including the MERS coronavirus, Dengue, Hendra, and Nipah viruses. The effects of antibodies against Hendra and Nipah viruses have been evaluated in humans and their use in clinical applications has been approved in Australia for the treatment of seriously ill patients when other treatments are ineffective.
The efficacy of plasma in recovering patients is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. This plasma contains antibodies produced in patients with COVID-19. The efficacy of such plasma in fighting infection is being tested, but even if the study results are favorable, there is not enough direct plasma to treat all patients who need such treatment.
That is why Dimitrov and his colleagues decided to isolate the genes for one or more antibodies that block the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which would allow the mass production of these antibodies to begin. In February, the Deputy Director of the Center for Antibody Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Wei Li, who is also a co-author of this study, began testing huge libraries of antibody components made up of human blood samples and enjoyed a series of candidate antibodies of therapeutic value, including Ab8, in record time.
Researchers at the University of Texas Center for Biosafety and Emerging Diseases, then led by Dr. Chien-Te Kent Tseng, tested the efficacy of Ab8 against the live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Ab8, even at very low concentrations, completely blocked the virus and prevented it from entering cells. With such results, a researcher from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Ralph Barric and his colleagues tested the efficacy of different concentrations of Ab8 in treating mice infected with a modified version of SARS-CoV-2. Even at the lowest doses tested by the researchers, Ab8 reduced the amount of virus capable of infecting cells in mice by up to 10 times compared to untreated mice. Ab8 has also been used to effectively treat hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as for prevention, according to University of Saskatchewan researcher Dr. Darryl Falzarano with peers. British Taking advantage of electron microscopy, Columbia University researcher Dr. Sriram Subramaniam and his colleagues discovered the unique way that Ab8 so effectively neutralizes the virus.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge facing all of humanity, but the biomedical sciences and human ingenuity are likely to meet that challenge. We hope that the antibodies we have discovered will contribute to this victory, “said Dr. J.Mellorsas.
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