Alleged antibody against coronavirus found amidst potential therapeutic agents, vaccines
At least 7,500 people across the globe have died from a new coronavirus outbreak while some 188,790 others have been infected by the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, as of March 17. The virus primarily attacks the lower respiratory system to cause viral pneumonia and may also affect the heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, and central nervous system. The outbreak is already showing devastating effects on people’s lives, worldwide health systems and the global economy. Now, researchers from a division of the American Chemical Society, or CAS, have independently analysed published scientific data on SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses to discover therapies and vaccines that could be used against the illness.
There has been numerous journal articles related to SARS-CoV-2 or the COVID-19 pandemic: from the last week of 2019 through March 1, 2020, more than 500 related journal articles were published electronically or in print, with numbers steadily increasing each week; more than 500 patents have also been issued for vaccines/therapeutic agents, including antibodies and nucleic acids, that could prevent or treat coronavirus infections. The CAS researchers highlighted therapies previously explored for other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV could be applicable to SARS-CoV-2 as well, because of their similarities.
Just recently, Dutch scientists from Erasmus University Medical Center and Utrecht University found an antibody against COVID-19. The antibody to SARS-CoV-2 can apparently help detect and prevent the associated corona infection but has yet to be tested on humans. The research is currently under assessment – if indeed useful it will be published by the prestigious journal Nature.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
