Good news! SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is history! The defeat of coronaviruses is imminent! This is just the latest example how human ingenuity conquers pathogenic viruses!
It appears that this new, common virus site mutates less rapidly than the top of the viral spike protein and that this site is crucial for the virus to fuse with the target cell membrane.
"The COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 harbors a vulnerable site at the base of its spike protein that is found also on closely related coronaviruses, according to a new study from Scripps Research. The discovery, published Feb 8 in Science Translational Medicine, could inform the design of broad-acting vaccines and antibody therapies capable of stopping future coronavirus pandemics. ...
The scientists had previously isolated an antibody from a COVID-19 survivor that can neutralize not only SARS-CoV-2 but also several other members of the family of coronaviruses known as beta-coronaviruses. In the new work, they mapped at atomic scale the site, or “epitope,” to which the antibody binds on the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein. They showed that the same epitope exists on other beta coronaviruses, and demonstrated with animal models that the antibody is protective against the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ...
In the new study, the team used X-ray crystallography and other techniques to precisely map the antibody’s binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. They showed that the same site is found on most other beta coronaviruses—which helps explain the antibody’s broad effect on these viruses. ...
In the new study, the team used X-ray crystallography and other techniques to precisely map the antibody’s binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. They showed that the same site is found on most other beta coronaviruses—which helps explain the antibody’s broad effect on these viruses."
The scientists had previously isolated an antibody from a COVID-19 survivor that can neutralize not only SARS-CoV-2 but also several other members of the family of coronaviruses known as beta-coronaviruses. In the new work, they mapped at atomic scale the site, or “epitope,” to which the antibody binds on the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein. They showed that the same epitope exists on other beta coronaviruses, and demonstrated with animal models that the antibody is protective against the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ...
In the new study, the team used X-ray crystallography and other techniques to precisely map the antibody’s binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. They showed that the same site is found on most other beta coronaviruses—which helps explain the antibody’s broad effect on these viruses. ...
In the new study, the team used X-ray crystallography and other techniques to precisely map the antibody’s binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. They showed that the same site is found on most other beta coronaviruses—which helps explain the antibody’s broad effect on these viruses."
Unfortunately, the abstract of the respective research paper is hard to understand for lay people.
From the discussion:
"The spike S1 subunit shows considerable variation on HCoVs, whereas the S2 subunit is relatively more conserved, especially across the β-HCoVs, and appears to be promising for developing pan-CoV bnAb vaccine strategies. Accordingly, we recently isolated a SARS-CoV-1/2 cross-neutralizing Ab, CC40.8, that exhibits broad reactivity with human β-CoVs (51). In this study, using epitope mapping and structural studies, we determined the spike epitope recognized by CC40.8. The epitope is located in the S2 stem-helix region, which is conserved across β-coronaviruses and may thus serve as a promising target for pan-β-coronavirus vaccine strategies. The epitope is highly enriched in hydrophobic residues as well as some charged residues. The bnAbs targeting this region may neutralize by sterically interfering with the fusion machinery (52, 53), suggesting a potential target for fusion inhibitors ..."
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