Researchers have discovered a 'weak spot' on the spike protein of the major SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as a specific antibody fragment that attaches there to neutralize the virus.
Sriram Subramaniam, PhD, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UBC's faculty of medicine, and colleagues were the first to report the structure of the contact zone between the Omicron spike protein and the human cell receptor ACE2, a finding that offered a molecular explanation for the enhanced viral fitness of the Omicron variant.
"Our results provide mechanistic insights into the structural, functional, and antigenic consequences of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations and highlight a spike protein vulnerability that may be exploited to achieve broad protection against circulating variants," they added. "The Holy Grail," said Subramaniam,"would be if you could take out the variants from the past and variants yet to come in the future.""Antibodies attach to a virus in a very specific manner, like a key going into a lock," Subramaniam explained in a statement from UBC."But when the virus mutates, the key no longer fits. We’ve been looking for master keys — antibodies that continue to neutralize the virus even after extensive mutations," he said.
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