Antibody Discovered at University of Texas at Austin May Protect Against All COVID Variants

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin say they have discovered an antibody that can effectively fight all variants of COVID-19, as well as other related viruses.

Scientists from UT Austin and several other universities have collaborated on a new study looking at how an antibody called SC27 works. The study is the latest in a growing body of COVID-19 research from UT Austin scientists who have contributed to several milestones in the fight against the virus, including the development of mRNA COVID vaccines.

For the study, researchers drew blood from infected Austinites and analyzed the antibodies they produced, a KUT researcher said. SC27 was isolated from a single patient, but researchers were able to identify the molecular sequence of the antibody, which paves the way for its replication for use in treating COVID-19.

“One of the goals of this research is to work toward a universal vaccine that can generate antibodies and create an immune response that provides broad protection against a rapidly mutating virus,” Will Voss, one of the project leaders and a recent UT Austin doctoral graduate, said in a university statement.

Like other protective antibodies, SC27 works by binding to a part of the COVID-19 virus called the spike protein. The spike protein allows the virus to attach to cells in the body. It has also mutated between different COVID-19 variants, helping the virus evade efforts by vaccines and other treatments to protect cells.

However, scientists say SC27 has the ability to recognize differences in the spike protein depending on the variant.

As COVID has evolved into new variants, some treatments for the disease have lost their effectiveness, such as monoclonal antibody therapy. There are currently no such treatments available.

“Due to its extraordinary ability to effectively neutralize even the newest variants, SC27 can fill this gap,” Voss told KUT.

The research team has filed a patent application for the antibody.

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