Studies conducted more than a decade ago laid the foundation for researchers at UMass Medical School in identifying antibodies that can confer immunity to COVID-19.
In an announcement Friday morning, researchers from MassBiologics of UMass Medical School said they had discovered antibodies that could provide effective immunity in the respiratory system against COVID-19.
While COVID-19 began to appear in the United States earlier this year, the study appeared Friday by UMass Medical School until 2004. Sixteen years ago, MassBiologics developed an antibody that was effective for SARS, a virus similar to COVID. 19.
At the time, MassBiologics was ready to initiate clinical trials, but SARS disappeared. However, researchers have saved these files.
When COVID-19 appeared, Dr. Yang Wang, deputy director of product discovery at MassBiologics and associate professor of medicine, researchers retrieving frozen hybridoma cells from their original research, the school said.
The two coronaviruses, SARS and COVID-19, are approximately 90% similar, however, initial tests showed that the antibody developed 16 years ago was ineffective.
Wang and her colleagues built on that research and introduced research from a program that looked at antibodies that helped build immunity on mucosal surfaces. The school said researchers found antibodies that relieved gastrointestinal infections were effective against COVID-19.
These antibodies, researchers said, clog mucosal surfaces such as breathing, which prevents pathogens from binding to host cells.
The antibodies, researchers hope, could prevent COVID-19 from binding to human respiratory tract. The discovery represents a critical feature for each vaccine.
Several fax candidates have already been identified.
As part of a $ 1.525 billion deal with the Trump administration, Camerna-based Moderna agreed to deliver 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the federal government while clinical trials are underway.
The biotech company is currently in the third phase of its study of the vaccine, which began on July 27 and is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health (NIH) and the Authority for Advanced Biomedical Research and Development.
The production of the mRNA-1273 vaccine during clinical trials aims to accelerate the traditional timeline for development in line with Federal Government Operation Warp Speed, a program that seeks to produce 300 million doses of a safe coronavirus preventative until January 2021.
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