항체 무력화시키는 남아프리카 변종 코로나바이러스 VIDEO: Virus variant found in S. Africa may resist antibodies

Virus variant found in S. Africa may resist antibodies

By Nicoletta Lanese - Staff Writer 9 hours ago

Antibodies against the novel coronavirus may not work as well against a new variant of the virus identified in South Africa, early data suggest.

Live Science

남아프리카 변종 코로나바이러스, 백신 안들을 수 있어    코로나 바이러스에 대한 항체는 남아프리카에서 확인된 새로운 코로나바이러스 변종에도 잘 작용하지 않을 수 있다고 초기 데이터는 암시한다. 과학자들은 최근 501.V2,로 알려진 변종에 대한 우려를 제기했다.V2는 COVID-19 백신에 내성이 있을 수 있다고 라이브 사이언스는 이전에 보도한 바 있다. 전문가들은 이 변종이 스파이크 단백질(코로나바이러스의 막 단백질)에 상당한 수의 돌연변이를 축적해왔는데, 이것은 바이러스의 표면을 막고 감염을 유발하기 위해 인간 세포와 결합하는 뾰족한 구조라고 언급했다. 공인된 백신들은 이 스파이크 단백질을 목표로 하고 있기 때문에, 만약 그것이 크게 변이한다면, 백신들은 그렇게 효력이 없을 수도 있다. 마찬가지로, 항체 약물과 COVID-19에 걸렸을 때 사람들이 자연적으로 생산하는 항체도 그러한 돌연변이에 대한 보호력이 떨어질 수 있다. 황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터 Ki Chul Hwang Conpaper editor

edited by kcontents

Scientists recently raised concerns that the variant, known as 501.V2, may be resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, Live Science previously reported. Experts noted that the variant has accumulated a significant number of mutations in its spike protein, a pointed structure that sticks off the virus's surface and binds to human cells to trigger infection. 

The authorized vaccines target this spike protein, so if it mutates substantially, the vaccines may not be as protective. Similarly, antibody drugs and the antibodies that people naturally produce when they catch COVID-19 could also be less protective against such a mutant. 

BBC.com 

edited by kcontents

Now, a new study posted Jan. 4 to the preprint database bioRxiv suggests that this may be the case with 501.V2. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, found that specific mutations in the spike protein make the variant less vulnerable to some people's antibodies — but critically, these mutations don't make the new variant invincible, only less vulnerable to attack. Additionally, while some people's antibodies couldn't bind well to the variant, others' antibodies still bound well to the mutant. 

"There is extensive person-to-person variation in how mutations affect serum antibody binding and neutralization," meaning how well the antibodies stop the virus from infecting cells, the authors wrote. That said, mutations at one location on the spike protein — called E484 — stood out as a potential issue. For some people, a mutation at E484 meant the antibodies' ability to block the virus from entering cells fell more than 10-fold.

Unfortunately, 501.V2 has a mutation at the E484 site, "as do some other isolates from elsewhere," the authors noted in a tweet. That means that the variant may be less vulnerable to some people's antibodies and to antibody drugs, but more studies are needed to know whether vaccine-generated antibodies will be similarly affected, the authors added. 

View full text

https://www.livescience.com/south-african-coronavirus-variant-antibody-resistant.html

Vaccines 'may be less effective' against COVID-19 variant found in South Africa KCONTENTS