Highlights :
• Scientists have created a novel molecule that binds to the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• It prevents from infecting humans and spreading the COVID-19 infection.
• The molecule is cheap and easier to make than the antibodies
A novel chemical has been created that adheres to the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and stops it from entering human cells and spreading the COVID-19 infection. The molecule is cheaper and easier to make than the antibodies now used to treat COVID-19 and identify viral infection using quick antigen tests, according to the researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark.
The Journal Talks
The molecule, which was published in the journal PNAS recently, is part of a class of chemicals or compound known as RNA aptamers and is made up of the same building components as mRNA vaccines.
What is Aptamer?
An aptamer is a fragment of DNA or RNA that folds into a three-dimensional (3D) structure that can recognize a specific target molecule.
How it works ?
The RNA aptamer stops the spike protein from serving as a key that allows the virus to enter a cell by binding itself to the virus surface.
They claim that the RNA aptamer is not a new sort of vaccination, but rather a molecule that can potentially prevent the virus from spreading in the body once someone has been exposed to it.
What does the research says ?
According to the researchers, the aptamer’s effective binding to the SARS-CoV-2 virus also suggests it can be used to screen for COVID-19 infection.
“We’ve started testing the new aptamer in quick tests, and we hope to be able to identify very low viral quantities,” said Jorgen Kjems, a professor at Aarhus University and the study’s primary author.
Studies in cell culture reveal that the aptamer is effective against the coronavirus strains that the researchers examined previously.
“We’ve continued our experiments since we submitted the article for peer review, and we’ve been able to show that it also recognizes the Delta variant,” Kjems said.
“Right now, we’re waiting for samples of the newly discovered variety, Omicron, so we can see if the aptamer recognizes it as well,” he explained.
The newly created aptamer has the potential to replace antibodies and nanobodies that target spike protein due to its tiny size and chemical stability, according to the researchers.
What is omicron?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has a variation called Omicron. It was initially reported to the World Health Organization on November 24, 2021, by South Africa. The WHO identified it as a variation of concern on November 26, 2021, and named it “Omicron,” the fifteenth letter in the Greek alphabet.
