Detecting Neutralizing Antibodies for COVID-19: A Novel Technique Uncovered by MIT Chemists — The method could enable a |
MIT chemists have come up with a new way to identify neutralizing antibodies, depicted here in light blue, against SARS-CoV-2 in a blood sample. Credit: iStock
The new test could help to reveal whether someone has neutralizing antibodies against viruses such as, the virus that the researchers focused on in their study. Neutralizing antibodies, which can be generated by vaccination or a previous infection, offer protection against future infections. Former MIT postdoc Michael Wuo and MIT research scientist Amanda Dugan are the lead authors of the paper, which was published on May 10 in the open-access journalMost vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 target the spike protein of the virus, which the virus uses to enter host cells through the ACE2 receptor. Like most proteins found on viral envelopes, the spike protein is heavily coated in sugar chains that hang from the protein.
To do that, the researchers created a panel of commercially available lectins , taken from a variety of organisms, mostly plants and bacteria. Lectins, which are normally involved in functions such as cell-cell interactions and immune responses, bind to the sugar molecule at the very end of a sugar chain as it dangles from a protein.
The researchers first identified fingerprints for antibodies that were already known to be either neutralizing or non-neutralizing. Then, they tested patient blood samples and were able to determine whether antibodies from those samples were neutralizing or not, by comparing them to the fingerprints produced by the known neutralizing antibodies.
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
A CMV Patient Journey: Educating, Screening, Diagnosing, and Implementing Team-Based Care📍 CMVAwareness: Learn from a CMV patient's journey and how you can educate, screen, diagnose, and implement team-based care. MedEd CME MedTwitter
Leer más »
Flying Mortarboard Drone: Mark Rober Tells MIT 2023 Graduates To Throw Themselves Into the UnknownThe engineer and YouTuber advises the Class of 2023 to embrace optimism and collaboration. At the OneMIT Commencement ceremony on June 1, Mark Rober — engineer, inventor, and YouTuber — urged MIT’s graduating class to cultivate a sense of optimism and collaboration, and, in our uncertain world, t
Leer más »
Bay Area biotech firm Grail wrongly told hundreds of people they might have cancerGrail, a biotech firm that makes a blood test for detecting cancer, blamed the snafu on a technology glitch.
Leer más »
Health firm wrongly told hundreds of people they might have cancerGrail, a biotech firm that makes a blood test for detecting cancer, blamed the snafu on a technology glitch.
Leer más »
'Bridge Man': The daring dissident who toppled China's COVID lockdowns by 'sacrificing' himselfPeng Lifa is widely believed to be the man behind the 2022 'Bridge Man' protest that led to the 'white paper protests' and ended China's COVID mandates. Sunday marks the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Leer más »
Most US adults are declining COVID boosters as CDC warns of health risks: 'Relatively little protection'Adults who aren’t up to date on their COVID-19 booster doses may have “relatively little remaining protection' against hospitalization compared to those who haven’t been vaccinated, suggests a new study from the CDC.
Leer más »