Israel isolates coronavirus antibody in 'significant breakthrough'

Bennett says 'monoclonal neutralizing antibody' developed at Israel Institute for Biological Research can neutralize the illness-causing virus inside the human body, indicating that a possible COVID-19 treatment might be in the works
Reuters|
Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its main biological research laboratory, the defence minister said on Monday, calling the step a "significant breakthrough" toward a possible treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter

  • The "monoclonal neutralizing antibody" developed at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) "can neutralize it (the disease-causing coronavirus) inside carriers' bodies," Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.
    2 View gallery
    Coronavirus testing kit
    Coronavirus testing kit
    Coronavirus testing kit
    (Photo: MCT )
    The statement added that Bennett visited the IIBR on Monday where he was briefed "on a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote for the coronavirus".
    It quoted IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira as saying that the antibody formula was being patented, after which an international manufacturer would be sought to mass-produce it.
    The IIBR has been leading Israeli efforts to develop a treatment and vaccine for the coronavirus, including the testing of blood from those who recovered from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
    2 View gallery
    נפתלי בנט
    נפתלי בנט
    Defense Minister Naftali Bennett
    (Photo: Yariv Katz )
    Antibodies in such samples - immune-system proteins that are residues of successfully overcoming the coronavirus - are widely seen as a key to developing a possible cure.
    The antibody reported as having been isolated at the IIBR is monoclonal, meaning it was derived from a single recovered cell and is thus potentially of more potent value in yielding a treatment.
    Elsewhere, there have been coronavirus treatments developed from antibodies that are polyclonal, or derived from two or more cells of different ancestry, the magazine Science Direct reported in its May issue.
    Israel was one of the first countries to close its borders and impose increasingly stringent restrictions on movement to hamper the domestic coronavirus outbreak. It has reported 16,246 cases and 235 deaths from the illness.
    Comments
    The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
    ""