This discovery paves the way for future treatments that could neutralize all variants of the virus.
This new study is one of the most extensive investigations to date into the spike protein differences between a number of Covid variants.
Researchers, whose work results have been published in the journal Nature Communications, found that some part of the spike protein is conserved in all of these variants. This part, called epitopeis vulnerable to new antibodies that could block the virus’s ability to infect human cells.
The antibodies work to block the infection by fitting into these epitopes on the spike protein and interrupting how the virus would latch onto human cells. The new research describes the development of an antibody fragment, called VH Ab6, which can bind to this epitope present in all current variants of Covid.
The researchers therefore suggest that future therapies against Covid should target this specific epitope in the hope of developing antibody treatments capable of neutralizing all variants of the virus.
An incredibly powerful antibody
This new study validates the results of another recent study, published in the journal Science Immunologywhich highlights a candidate antibody that so far in animal studies can neutralize all current Covid variants.
After genetically modifying mice to produce human-like immune responses to Covid, the scientists exposed the animals to parts of the virus and found nine different groups of antibodies. And it turns out that a specific antibody, called SP1-77, proved to be incredibly powerful to block infection by all currently known variants of Covid.