“Sybodies” protect against SARS-CoV-2 in hamster model
Researchers in China, The Netherlands, France, and Switzerland have identified synthetic nanobodies or “sybodies” that exhibit potent neutralizing activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Structural and biophysical studies revealed that the sybodies stopped the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein interacting with the human host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).
As recently reported in the journal
Nature Communications, the sybody MR3 exhibited the highest binding affinity for the spike RBD and the most potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses.
“Not all is lost.” In these trying times, I remind myself of this motto every day. Especially when looking at what others are doing somewhere along the lines of innovative, inspiring or simply heartwarming. Some of my blogging friends from Austria and Germany have engaged in truly noteworthy things, such as
publishing new blogs or exciting
podcasts, announcing new book projects or simply posting about what still remains to be done
despite lockdowns and restrictive measures. Today, I want to say thank you to all of them – and introduce you to them at the same time.
Janett Schindler, of Teilzeitreisender.de, has just published a new hiking blog called www.Teilzeitwandern.de.