Omicron: Chinese researchers say their ‘godsend’ new antibody may neutralise variant and future strains
- Surprise discovery – made while Fudan University researchers were investigating another disease – would put humans ‘a step ahead’ in race against the pandemic
- New antibody was synthesised from components of two different antibodies produced by human immune cells, according to paper
The surprise discovery – made while researchers were investigating another disease – would put humans “a step ahead in the race” against the pandemic, said lead scientist Professor Huang Jinghe of Fudan University in Shanghai on Tuesday.
The new antibody was synthesised from components of two different antibodies produced by human immune cells. When used in their natural forms, these antibodies were futile against the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
But the man-made version breached Omicron’s line of defence, using what Huang described as a series of “combo moves” similar to those in the Street Fighter video game.
Huang’s team and collaborators at the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease in Guangzhou developed eight different highly-potent antibodies in a short period of time using this new approach.
“There are very few antibodies that can neutralise Omicron in the world. I feel like I’ve been hit by God’s grace,” she said.