Europe announces a turning point in the fight against coronavirus, discovered a super antibody that can prevent the infection

More than a year after COVID-19 appeared, many enigmas continue about the virus: why do some people get so much sicker than others? Why does lung illness sometimes remain to worsen well after the body seems to have defeated the SARS-CoV-2 virus? And what is behind the extended, multi-organ damage that lasts for months in people with ‘long COVID’? A growing number of studies suggest that some of these questions might be solved by the immune system mistakenly turning against the body — a phenom recognized as autoimmunity. The turning point in the fight against Covid-19 could come from Europe that has published a new study, defined as sensational by experts.

While the coronavirus variant from India scares member States, the European Commission – the funding body of the research project – relaunches the news on the new monoclonal antibody capable of protecting even from Covid-19 variants. Researchers have discovered a super antibody capable of preventing the virus and its variants. “This discovery – highlighted Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture – thanks to the work of EU-funded researchers, could prevent and treat Covid-19 cases, ultimately saving lives”.

The bispecific super antibody is capable of simultaneously detecting two different virus antigens. The researchers merged two natural antibodies into a single man-made molecule and preclinical tests showed that it protects against variants of the coronavirus, including the English one. Unlike antibodies that recognize a single antigen, the double bond of bispecific antibodies significantly reduces the selection of resistant variants. The bispecific antibody CoV-X2 recognizes two virus antigens at the same time and would be more effective than other monoclonal antibodies. The study was published in Nature.

A super monoclonal antibody known as CoV-X2 was developed by an international team funded by the European Union and would also be able to prevent coronavirus infection. The bispecific antibody CoV-X2, that is, which simultaneously recognizes two antigens of the virus, would be more effective than other monoclonal antibodies in inhibiting the binding with ACE2.The latter is the receptor used by Covid-19 to attack cells and replicate. The antibody is therefore born from the union in the laboratory of two natural antibodies and precisely this double bond would allow fighting the variants more effectively. The study was published in Nature.

The bispecific antibody has high efficacy and characteristics that make it an excellent candidate for clinical trials, with good potential for use both in the prevention of the disease and in the treatment of patients. Will it be enough to protect us from the virus? Perhaps, in the meantime, states continue to impose new restrictions amid protests, fear and an economic crisis that exacerbates the already difficult conditions.