An international group of scientists has found a rare type of human antibodies that can neutralize several different coronaviruses. These antibodies were identified in several people healing from COVID-19, and can be the basis for a universal vaccine. This is reported in an article published in the SCIENCE journal.
In scientific work, researchers described five human monoclonal antibodies that can cross-react with a number of beta coronaviruses, which also include SARS-COV, MERS-COV and SARS-COV-2. Antibodies are aimed at a fragment of the secondary structure (the so-called STEM HELIX) of the coronavirus S-protein, which binds to the receptor of human cells and contributes to the penetration of the virus inside.
The STEM HELIX structure remains conservative, that is, it is not subjected to significant changes, during the evolution of some coronaviruses, that is, it is the same in a number of pathogens. These include those dangerous for people and come from bats, as well as those that cause cold symptoms. To find antibodies to her, scientists analyzed B-cells of memory of recovering people with COVID-19.
Antibody S2P6 It turned out to be able to neutralize three different beeta-coronaviruses, suppressing the ability of the virus to merge with cell membranes and reducing the viral load. Similar antibodies with high frequency are found in people who were cured from COVID-19, and then were vaccinated, although, in general, COVID-19 relatively rarely provokes them formation.