(Vancouver) Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) say they have discovered “a weak point” in the virus causing COVID-19, paving the way for potential new treatments effective against all strains.
Posted at 9:34 p.m.
In an article published in the scientific journal NatureCommunicationsthe authors say that this “crucial vulnerability” is found in all important variants of SARS-CoV-2.
“We are still investigating whether there is a flaw in the armor. Is there a place that doesn’t change so much, where we can direct the antibodies? “raised in an interview the main author of the article, the Dr Sriram Subramaniam.
“That’s the value of the new discovery, it tells us where to focus our attention. »
The researchers add that studying this vulnerability could open the door to new treatments that would be effective against all strains of the disease which has killed nearly 6.5 million people worldwide for more than two years. year.
The Dr Sriram Subramaniam, who is a professor at UBC’s medical school, says his team has studied the virus at the atomic level. She discovered a weak spot and identified an antibody fragment that can attach to it, and all of its other variants.
Antibodies attack viruses by attaching themselves to them like a key in a lock. They are naturally produced by the body to fight infections, but can also be made in the lab and given to patients as a treatment, becoming less effective over time as viruses mutate.
The Dr Subramaniam claims that since the weak point is present in the seven main variants of SARS-CoV-2, an antibody could then act as a “boilerplate” capable of defeating all mutations.
The researcher believes that the research results “uncover new avenues for treatments” with the potential to be effective against current and future variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Researchers first knew that the immune system generally reacts to what it sees on the surface of the virus, or on the tip of the SARS-CoV-2 protein. All viruses mutate and the concern with each new variant of COVID-19 is whether the immune system will be able to recognize the mutated form.
“The existence of a large number of mutations has made it a much more effective artist at evading our immune system,” said Dr.r Subramaniam.
The weak point is located on the tip of the protein, he continued. The expert explains that the antibody fragment neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by attaching to the tip of the protein and preventing the virus from entering human cells.
“We used very advanced imaging tools to literally focus and highlight the interaction on the tip of the protein with the antibodies,” said Dr.r Subramaniam.
The particularity of the identified antibody fragment is that it attaches next to where the tip of the protein binds to human cells rather than directly on it, he specified.
“It brings out a few fingers that are still blocking the link. So he gets that effect by standing by,” he adds.
In a way, it’s not about locking the door, but rather reaching out an arm to block the entrance, he said in comparison.