CORONAVIRUS/Research team finds key antibody against COVID-19

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/28/2020
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) A group of researchers based in Taiwan and the United Kingdom have found a key antibody against COVID-19 that could be used to develop medication for the disease, a Chang Gung University (CGU) professor said Thursday.

The antibody has the ability to prevent SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from entering human cells, and has a 90 percent to 98 percent efficacy rate, said Shih Shin-ru (施信如), director of the Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections at CGU.

Shih explained that for the virus to infect the body, it has to integrate with a protein attached to the surface of human cells called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

The antibody discovered by the team can prevent this process from happening by integrating with ACE2 first, thus blocking the virus' path to infection, Shih said.    [FULL  STORY]