Newly discovered antibodies can neutralize virtually all known variants of COVID-19 and may have the potential to prevent future coronavirus outbreaks, .
Published in the peer-reviewed Science Advances journal Thursday, the study describes how a team of researchers was able to isolate potent neutralizing antibodies from a recovered SARS patient, who was vaccinated against COVID-19, that 鈥渆xhibited remarkable breadth鈥� against known sarbecoviruses, or respiratory viruses, like SARS and COVID-19.
The international team was led by Duke-NUS Medical School and involved scientists from the National University of Singapore, the University of Melbourne in Australia and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States.
By isolating antibodies from the COVID-19-vaccinated SARS survivor, the researchers found that the combination of prior coronavirus infection and vaccination generated an 鈥渆xtremely broad and powerful鈥� antibody response 鈥� capable of stopping nearly all related coronaviruses tested.
鈥淭his work provides encouraging evidence that pan-coronavirus vaccines are possible if they can 鈥榚ducate鈥� the human immune system in the right way,鈥� senior author Wang Linfa, a professor and bat virus expert with Duke-NUS鈥� Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, said in a news release.
In total, the team obtained six antibodies that could neutralize multiple coronaviruses, including COVID-19, its variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, the original SARS virus, along with multiple other animal coronaviruses transmitted from bats and pangolins.
Co-author Chia Wan Ni, a former postdoctoral fellow in Linfa鈥檚 lab who now works with Singapore start-up CoV Biotechnology, said three antibodies stood out as 鈥渆xceptionally broad and potent,鈥� capable of neutralizing all tested SARS-related viruses 鈥渁t very low concentrations.鈥�
The researchers found that the most powerful antibody, named E7, was able to neutralize both SARS and COVID-19, animal sarbecoviruses, as well as new COVID-19 variants, such as Omicron XBB.1.16.
E7 was shown to target a region of the coronavirus鈥� spike protein and blocked the shape-shifting process the virus requires to infect cells and cause illness, the study notes.
鈥淭he (neutralizing) potency and breadth of the E7 antibody exceeded any other SARS-related coronavirus antibodies we鈥檝e come across,鈥� said Chia.
鈥淚t maintained activity against even the newest Omicron subvariants, while most other antibodies lose effectiveness.鈥�
The study鈥檚 findings provide a foundation for designing vaccines and drugs that work against COVID-19 variants and future coronavirus threats.
鈥淭his work demonstrates that induction of broad sarbecovirus-(neutralizing) antibodies is possible鈥攊t just needs the right immunogenic sequence and method of delivery,鈥� said Wang.
鈥淭his provides hope that the design of a universal coronavirus vaccine is achievable.鈥�
The researchers plan to further assess the E7 antibody's potential against existing and future coronaviruses.
鈥淭his collaborative effort led by 鈥� Wang and his team expands our capability in protecting against coronavirus threats that currently threaten human health, as well as new viruses that may emerge in the future,鈥� said Patrick Tan, senior vice-dean for research and professor at Duke-NUS Medical School.
鈥淭his underscores the pivotal role basic science research plays in advancing knowledge, with the goal of discovering new approaches to transform medicine and improve lives.鈥�
