The variants of COVID-19 such as the Alpha and especially the Delta They have put the efficacy of vaccines called into question and with it also the end of the pandemic. Now a study published in the journal ‘New England Journal of Medicine‘ensures that those vaccinated with Pfizer serum So what overcame severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from 2003 generate antibodies that can block the current virus, as well as its variants.
This research, led by the professor of virology at the Duke-NUS School of Medicine in Singapore, Linfa Wang, took care of compare the response of the immune system against both the current SARS-CoV-2 and the SARS that spread in 2003. The group of researchers discovered that people who were vaccinated with Pfizer and had the previous illness in 2003 generated some antibodies that not only limit the action of the current virus and its variants, but also blocks pathogens related to future outbreaks.
“That was really unexpected but an important discovery ”, he explains to ‘Bloomberg’ Linfa Wang. The current COVID-19 shares approximately 80% of the genomic sequence with the 2003 SARS-CoV. The work in this investigation focused on the possibility of a cross-boosting of neutralizing antibodies.
A change in possible treatments
This finding could allow stop future infections, enhancing the immunity generated by current vaccines, also including the sarbecovirus, a subgenus of SARS-CoV that wild animals often infect humans, and that they are, therefore, potential vectors of infection and new pandemics.
“According to our data, there is a glimmer of hope that we can now actually develop an effective vaccine against pan-sarbecovirus. For the first time, maybe we can do something in the context of preparing for a pandemic, “says Wang in ‘Bloomberg.’
In addition, according to the researcher, this finding not only affects the vaccine, well they could also develop monoclonal antibody treatments. Researchers will continue to study this option to “Store them to provide a rapid treatment of patients infected with newly onset sarbecovirus ”.
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