Discovery of 'weak spot' in COVID-19 variants could lead to better treatment options
A discovery by a team of B.C. researchers may lead to improved COVID-19 treatment options that are effective against several variants of the disease.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia say they've found a "weak spot" in COVID-19 variants, including in the latest Omicron subvariants. Their findings were published in Nature Communications on Thursday.
"This is a highly adaptable virus that has evolved to evade most existing antibody treatments, as well as much of the immunity conferred by vaccines and natural infection," said Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, a professor at UBC's faculty of medicine and the study's senior author, in a news release.
"This study reveals a weak spot that is largely unchanged across variants and can be neutralized by an antibody fragment. It sets the stage for the design of pan-variant treatments that could potentially help a lot of vulnerable people."
The researchers, who worked with a team from the University of Pittsburgh, explained that while antibody treatments have been available for COVID-19, some are less effective against muted variants like Omicron.
"Antibodies attach to a virus in a very specific manner, like a key going into a lock. But when the virus mutates, the key no longer fits," Subramaniam explained.
"We've been looking for master keys — antibodies that continue to neutralize the virus even after extensive mutations."
Researchers believe they've identified a "master key" antibody fragment that's effective against COVID-19's Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Kappa, Epsilon and Omicron variants. It can attach itself to part of the virus' spike protein, blocking it from entering human cells.
By identifying a weak spot, researchers say drug makers can use the information to create new treatments that could even be effective against future variants.
"We now have a very clear picture of this vulnerable spot on the virus. We know every interaction the spike protein makes with the antibody at this site. We can work backwards from this, using intelligent design, to develop a slew of antibody treatments," Subramaniam said.
"Having broadly effective, variant-resistant treatments would be a game changer in the ongoing fight against COVID-19."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.