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Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies using High-Throughput Fluorescent Imaging of Pseudovirus Infection
Published on: June 5, 2021
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Neutralising antibodies in Spike mediated SARS-CoV-2 adaptation
S A Kemp1, D A Collier1,2,3, R Datir1,2,3
1Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|January 5, 2021
Summary
SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced antibody sensitivity emerged during convalescent plasma treatment in an immunocompromised patient. These viral escape mutations highlight selection pressures and potential therapeutic challenges.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Genetics
Background:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein facilitates viral entry by binding to Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2).
- Amino acid variations in the Spike protein are increasingly recognized, raising concerns about potential viral escape from vaccines and therapeutics, especially in immunocompromised individuals with prolonged viral replication.
Conclusions:
- Convalescent plasma therapy exerts strong selection pressure on SARS-CoV-2, driving the emergence of variants with reduced susceptibility to neutralizing antibodies.
- The observed mutations, particularly ΔH69/ΔV70 and D796H in the Spike protein, confer an antibody escape phenotype.
- These findings underscore the potential for viral evolution during therapeutic interventions and highlight the need to monitor for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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