A breakthrough discovery has been made by a team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who have found that a component of the immune system in sharks could be used as a basis for drugs against coronaviruses. The team discovered that VNAR, an antibody-like protein found in sharks, prevents SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells by binding to infectious particles. These proteins are much smaller than human antibodies, and the scientists identified three candidates that specifically prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells. One of these, VNAR 3B4, was found to be effective against SARS-CoV-1 and MERS virus as well as the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The scientists also discovered that another shark VNAR, 2C02, can deactivate the spike protein of the virus, although its effectiveness may be reduced in some variants of the virus where the binding site has already changed. While it will take some time before these shark proteins can be used in drugs, the researchers believe that a combination of several VNARs could be highly effective against future viruses. This discovery offers a new avenue for the development of drugs against coronaviruses.
It is important to note that the use of shark proteins in drugs is still in the early stages of research, and it will take time before they can be used in the fight against COVID-19. However, this discovery is a promising step forward in the search for effective treatments against coronaviruses. The researchers hope that their findings will inspire further research into the potential of shark VNARs as a new class of drugs.
