Scientists discover tiny antibody that completely neutralises novel coronavirus

"Antibodies of larger size have worked against other infectious diseases and have been well-tolerated, giving us hope that it could be an effective treatment for patients with COVID-19 and for protection of those who have never had the infection and are not immune," Mellors said.

The tiny antibody component is the variable, heavy chain (VH) domain of an immunoglobulin, which is a type of antibody found in the blood. It was found by "fishing" in a pool of more than 100 billion potential candidates using the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as bait, the researchers said.

Ab8 is created when the VH domain is fused to part of the immunoglobulin tail region, adding the immune functions of a full-size antibody without the bulk, they said. Clinical trials are testing convalescent plasma - which contains antibodies from people who already had COVID-19 - as a treatment for those battling the infection, but there isn't enough plasma for those who might need it, and it isn't proven to work. The researchers set out to isolate the gene for one or more antibodies that block the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which would allow for mass production.

Source: moneycontrol

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