Scientists identify new antibody for COVID-19 and variants
Antibody blocks infections and minimizes symptoms against a broad array
of coronaviruses

Date:
November 2, 2021
Source:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Summary:
An antibody effective against COVID-19 and its variants could
provide a template for universal coronavirus vaccination.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A research collaboration between scientists at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has identified and tested
an antibody that limits the severity of infections from a variety
of coronaviruses, including those that cause COVID-19 as well as the
original SARS illness.


==========================================================================
The antibody was identified by a team at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) and tested in animal models at UNC-Chapel Hill. Researchers
published their findings Nov. 2 in the journal Science Translational
Medicine.

"This antibody has the potential to be a therapeutic for the current
epidemic," said co-senior author Barton Haynes, M.D., director of
DHVI. "It could also be available for future outbreaks, if or when
other coronaviruses jump from their natural animal hosts to humans."
Haynes and colleagues at DHVI isolated the antibody by analyzing the blood
from a patient who had been infected with the original SARS-CoV-1 virus,
which caused the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, and from a current
COVID-19 patient.

They identified more than 1,700 antibodies, which the immune system
produces to bind at specific sites on specific viruses to block the
pathogen from infecting cells. When viruses mutate, many binding cites
are altered or eliminated, leaving antibodies ineffectual. But there are
often sites on the virus that remain unchanged despite mutations. The researchers focused on antibodies that target these sites because of their potential to be highly effective across different lineages of a virus.

Of the 1,700 antibodies from the two individuals, the Duke researchers
found 50 antibodies that had the ability to bind to both the SARS-CoV-1
virus as well as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.



========================================================================== Further analysis found that one of those cross-binding antibodies was especially potent -- able to bind to a multitude of animal coronaviruses
in addition to the two human-infecting pathogens.

"This antibody binds to the coronavirus at a location that is conserved
across numerous mutations and variations," Haynes said. "As a result,
it can neutralize a wide range of coronaviruses." With the antibody
isolated, the DHVI team turned to researchers at UNC who have expertise
in animal coronaviruses. The UNC team, led by co-senior author Ralph
S. Baric, Ph.D., epidemiology professor at UNC Gillings School of Global
Public Health, tested it in mice to determine whether it could effectively block infections, or minimize the infections that occurred.

They found that it did both. When given before the animals were infected,
the antibody protected mice against developing SARS, COVID-19 and its
variants such as Delta, and many animal coronaviruses that have the
potential to cause human pandemics.

"The findings provide a template for the rational design of universal
vaccine strategies that are variant-proof and provide broad protection
from known and emerging coronaviruses," Baric said.



==========================================================================
When given after infections, the antibody reduced severe lung symptoms
compared to animals that were not treated with the antibody.

"The therapeutic activity even after mice were infected suggests that
this could be a treatment deployed in the current pandemic, but also
stockpiled to prevent the spread of a future outbreak or epidemic with
a SARS-related virus," said David Martinez, Ph.D., a post-doctoral
researcher in the Department of Epidemiology at UNC's Gillings School.

"This antibody could be harnessed to prevent maybe SARS-CoV-3 or
SARS-CoV-4," Martinez said.

Study principals include Priamvada Acharya, co-senior author along with
Haynes and Baric, and Alexandra Scha?fer, Sophie Gobeil, Dapeng Li, who
were co-lead authors with Martinez. The full list of authors includes
Gabriela De la Cruz, Robert Parks, Xiaozhi Lu, Maggie Barr, Victoria
Stalls, Katarzyna Janowska, Esther Beaudoin, Kartik Manne, Katayoun
Mansouri, Robert J. Edwards, Kenneth Cronin, Boyd Yount, Kara Anasti,
Stephanie A. Montgomery, Juanjie Tang, Hana Golding, Shaunna Shen,
Tongqing Zhou, Peter D. Kwong, Barney S. Graham, John R.

Mascola, David. C. Montefiori, S. Munir Alam, Gregory D. Sempowski,
Surender Khurana, Kevin Wiehe and Kevin O. Saunders.

This project was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health
(AI157155, U54 CA260543, AI149644, AI145687, AI158571, HHSN272201700036I, AI142596); the State of North Carolina with federal CARES Act funds;
the National Cancer Institute (5P30CA016086-41); the NIH and Department
of Defense to the Duke Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (UC6AI058607, HR0011-17-2-0069); the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at UNC-CH
and Duke University with funding from the North Carolina General Assembly.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. David R. Martinez, Alexandra Scha"fer, Sophie Gobeil, Dapeng Li,
Gabriela
De la Cruz, Robert Parks, Xiaozhi Lu, Maggie Barr, Victoria
Stalls, Katarzyna Janowska, Esther Beaudoin, Kartik Manne,
Katayoun Mansouri, Robert J. Edwards, Kenneth Cronin, Boyd Yount,
Kara Anasti, Stephanie A.

Montgomery, Juanjie Tang, Hana Golding, Shaunna Shen, Tongqing
Zhou, Peter D. Kwong, Barney S. Graham, John R. Mascola,
David. C. Montefiori, S. Munir Alam, Gregory D. Sempowski,
Surender Khurana, Kevin Wiehe, Kevin O. Saunders, Priyamvada
Acharya, Barton F. Haynes, Ralph S. Baric. A broadly cross-reactive
antibody neutralizes and protects against sarbecovirus challenge
in mice. Science Translational Medicine, Nov. 2, 2021; DOI:
10.1126/scitranslmed.abj7125 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211102111217.htm

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