Scientists at The University of Texas in Austin have made a significant discovery in the fight against COVID-19. They found an antibody, named SC27, that could potentially neutralize all known variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This antibody may also work against other, more distantly related coronaviruses that infect animals.
How the Virus Spreads?
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, uses its spike protein to enter and infect human cells. The body produces antibodies in response, which work by attaching to the spike protein to block the virus from spreading. The SC27 antibody was found to be especially effective at targeting the spike protein, even with the virus constantly evolving into new variants.
SC27 Isolated from Breakthrough Cases
The researchers, led by a team in the US, isolated SC27 from the blood of four people who had breakthrough infections. Breakthrough infections occur when a vaccinated person still gets infected by the virus. Despite vaccination, the virus sometimes evolves in a way that makes it resistant to the immune protection generated by the vaccine.
A Step Toward a Universal Vaccine
One of the goals of this research is to develop a universal vaccine that can protect against all variants of COVID-19, regardless of how much the virus mutates. William Voss, one of the lead authors of the study, explained that this research brings us one step closer to such a vaccine. However, the researchers cautioned that the small number of patients studied limits how widely this antibody might occur in the general population.
Hybrid Immunity Offers Better Protection
In their research, the team used a technique called Ig-Seq to study how the immune system responds to both natural infection and vaccination, a phenomenon known as hybrid immunity. They found that hybrid immunity offers stronger protection against COVID-19 compared to vaccination or infection alone.
This breakthrough could help scientists develop better treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, as well as for future coronaviruses.
