Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 23, 2025
Basic Research in Plasma Medicine - A Throughput Approach from Liquids to Cells
Published on: November 17, 2017
Coronavirus drugs: Using plasma from recovered patients as a treatment for COVID-19
Foad Alzoughool1, Lo'ai Alanagreh1
1Department of Laboratory Medical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Jordan.
Insights
Passive immunization (PI) using neutralizing antibodies offers a potential immediate solution for COVID-19 treatment while vaccines are developed. This approach leverages antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 antigens to combat the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in millions of infections and deaths globally.
- Currently, no specific antiviral therapies or vaccines are available for COVID-19 treatment or prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the potential of passive immunization (PI) as an immediate therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.
- To review historical applications of PI in managing epidemics.
Main Methods:
- Review of passive immunization principles.
- Analysis of broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 antigens.
- Historical case studies of passive immunization in epidemics.
Main Results:
- Passive immunization with broadly neutralizing antibodies presents a viable option for immediate COVID-19 treatment.
- Antibodies bind to specific SARS-CoV-2 antigens, offering therapeutic benefits.
Conclusions:
- Passive immunization is a promising approach to mitigate the immediate health threat of COVID-19.
- Further research and development of PI strategies are crucial while awaiting vaccine deployment.
Abstract:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has infected nearly 3,582,233 individuals with 248,558 deaths since it was first identified in human populations in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. No antiviral therapies or vaccines are available for their treatment or prevention. Passive immunization PI through broadly neutralizing antibodies that bind to the specific antigens of SARS-CoV 2 might be a potential solution to address the immediate health threat of COVID-19 pandemic while vaccines are being developed. The PI approach in treating COVID-19 is discussed herein, including a summary of its historical applications to confront epidemics.
