Scientists race to beat virus
Researchers developing treatment and drugs for Covid-19
Beijing: From discovering new antibodies to repurposing old drugs, scientists around the world are racing to find not only more effective vaccines but also medical treatment to fight the novel coronavirus and its more contagious variants.
Chinese scientists have reported that the 2B11 monoclonal antibody is highly potent in neutralising the original strain and Alpha variant of SARS-COV-2, according to a study published recently in the journal Cell Discovery.
In a follow-up experiment, the 2B11 antibody is also found to be effective against the delta variant of the virus, said yang Xiaoming, a researcher from China National Biotec Group – a subsidiary of Sinopharm – and the key scientist behind the study.
“This shows that 2B11 may have major application value in shortterm prevention and early treatment of Covid-19 caused by the delta variant,” the release said, adding that the drug’s application for clinical trials is currently underway.
A monoclonal antibody consists of lab-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight SARS-COV-2 by targeting different parts of its spike protein, hence it can be used to directly neutralise the pathogen or prevent it from latching onto the ACE2 receptors and infecting human cells, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
As a result, scientists have hailed it as a promising treatment and prevention method against Covid-19.
It also has the potential to work on a wide range of SARS-COV-2 variants, which is important given the fact that many circulating mutated strains exhibit increased transmissibility and a capability to resist vaccine and infection-induced immunity.
However, this medication is typically given by an intravenous drip, so it must be administered in a facility with dedicated staff and resources, thus limiting its affordability and accessibility.
It is also important to use this treatment during the early onset of the illness to ensure the best results, yet most Covid-19 patients, apart from the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, can recover on their own, thus raising the question of this treatment’s usefulness. Nevertheless, the journal states that a drug that can reliably prevent progression of Covid-19 would greatly reduce the concerns and uncertainty associated with SARSCOV-2 infection.
“Establishing the therapeutic orprophylactic efficacy of monoclonal antibodies would be a major advance in the control of the Covid19 pandemic,” it said.