An antibody that can stop the new coronavirus infecting cells in laboratory tests has been identified by researchers in the Netherlands, in what scientists say could help the development of therapies for COVID-19.
It has not yet been tested on animals or in human trials.
The antibody neutralised the new coronavirus, according to the research published in Nature Communications, and the authors said it “offers the potential to prevent and/or treat COVID-19”.
One of the antibodies stopped both pathogens from infecting cells.
‘Treatment cocktail’
Usually the antibodies used in antiviral treatments block a pathogen from attaching to cells.
In this case, the authors of the study published Monday said that while the antibody appeared to target the binding mechanism of the virus, it did not actually stop it from latching on.
Scientists cautioned more research was needed to identify the way in which the antibody did work.
Babak Javid, a professor at the Tsinghua University School of Medicine in Beijing, said it might be an advantage that the antibody could be used in a treatment “cocktail”.
“It is likely that if the (monoclonal antibodies) mAbs work in slightly different ways, that will be potentially a more potent and more effective treatment than if they all target and work via exactly the same mechanism,” he said in response to the study.
