The effect of passive vaccination is almost immediate, the researchers said. (Representative)
Berlin:
Scientists have identified highly effective antibodies against the new coronavirus, which they believe can lead to the development of passive vaccination against COVID-19.
Unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of ready-to-use antibodies, which degrade over time.
However, the effect of passive vaccination is almost immediate, whereas with active vaccination it must first build up, the researchers said.
The research, published in the journal Cell, also shows that certain anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bind to tissue samples from various organs, which could potentially trigger unwanted side effects.
Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin isolated nearly 600 different antibodies from the blood of individuals who had defeated COVID-19, the disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2.
Thanks to laboratory tests, they were able to reduce this number to a few antibodies that are particularly effective at binding to the virus.
The researchers then produced these antibodies artificially using cell cultures.
The so-called neutralizing antibodies bind to the virus, as revealed by crystallographic analysis, and thus prevent the pathogen from entering cells and reproducing, they said.
In addition, recognition of the virus by antibodies helps immune cells eliminate the pathogen. Studies in hamsters – which, like humans, are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 – have confirmed the high efficacy of the selected antibodies.
“If the antibodies were administered after infection, the hamsters developed mild symptoms at most. If the antibodies were applied preventively – before infection – the animals did not get sick,” said Jakob Kreye, project coordinator. of research.
The researchers noted that treating infectious diseases with antibodies has a long history.
For COVID-19, this approach is also being studied by administering plasma derived from the blood of recovered patients. Along with the plasma, the donor antibodies are transferred, they said.
“Ideally, the most effective antibody is produced in a controlled manner on an industrial scale and of consistent quality. This is the goal we are pursuing, ”said Momsen Reincke, lead author of the research.
“Three of our antibodies are particularly promising for clinical development,” explained Harald Pruss, research group leader at DZNE and also senior doctor at Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin.
“Using these antibodies, we began to develop a passive vaccination against SARS-CoV-2,” said Pruss.
In addition to treating patients, preventive protection of healthy people who have had contact with infected people is also a potential application, the researchers said.
The duration of protection will need to be studied in clinical studies, they said.
“This is because, unlike active vaccination, passive vaccination involves the administration of ready-to-use antibodies, which are broken down after a certain time,” Pruss said. In general, the protection provided by passive vaccination is less persistent than that provided by active vaccination, the researchers said.
However, the effect of passive vaccination is almost immediate, whereas with active vaccination, it must first build up, they said.
“It would be better if both options were available so that a flexible response can be made depending on the situation,” Pruss added.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
