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Nanobody Treatments Might Become An Alternative Treatment Against Coronavirus; Study

With the aim to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus across the world, Australian researchers have identified nanobodies that can block the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering the cells in preclinical models. This has paved the way for nanobody-based treatments for the pandemic virus.

Nanobody To Cause Cross-Protection Against Two Human Coronaviruses

As per the study conducted by the research team led by Wai-Hong Tham, Associate Professor at WEH in Victoria, Australia, they were able to identify that a nanobody recognized the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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Nanobodies are tiny immune proteins that can provide an alternative to the usual antibody treatments for Covid 19. The nanobody also identified the original SARS-CoV virus which means that it would provide cross-protection against the two human coronaviruses.

Tham said that since the emergence of Covid 19 there has been a lot of discussions regarding the preparedness of the pandemic. So far, the nanobodies are able to bind other human beta-coronaviruses which include SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS, This could provide effective measures against future coronaviruses as well.

The study is published in the journal PNAS. The team examined a group of alpacas in regional Victoria. They are known to produce the same nanobodies in response to the infection.

The alpacas were immunized with a non-infection part of the SARS-CoV-2 “spike” protein to enable their nanobodies to resist the virus.

Tham said that they can extract the gene sequences which would encode the nanobodies and use their produce to create millions of other types of nanobodies in the laboratory. This would ensure that they have the option to select the best one which would bind the virus.

Covid 19 Cases Increase As Countries Continue To Suffer

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As per the latest reports, so far, there have been a total of 148,608,448 Covid 19 cases. And the United States of America, India and Brazil have topped the list of the worst hit countries.

Recently, India became the first country in the world to have reported over 3.5 lakh active Covid 19 cases in 24 hours.