IN FOCUS: VIRAL INFECTION

When a virus infects us, our immune system responds by generating antibodies to clear the infection, while establishing a “memory” for a rapid second response to repeat infections.

A simple way to make a vaccine is to produce copies of the spike proteins. In SARS-COV-2 these are often unstable and either fall apart or change structure so much that they can produce ineffective antibodies that do not mimic the surface protein – and can prove harmful.

Coronaviruses employ their spikes to infiltrate living cells. When the conditions are right, the virus enters.