Discovery of 'weak spot' in COVID-19 variants could lead to better treatment options

A discovery by a team of B.C. researchers may lead to improved COVID-19 treatment options that are effective against several variants of the disease.

A discovery by a team of B.C. researchers may lead to improved COVID-19 treatment options that are effective against several variants of the disease.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia say they've found a "weak spot" in COVID-19 variants, including in the latest Omicron subvariants. Their findings were published in Nature Communications on Thursday.

"This is a highly adaptable virus that has evolved to evade most existing antibody treatments, as well as much of the immunity conferred by vaccines and natural infection," said Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, a professor at UBC's faculty of medicine and the study's senior author, in a news release.

"This study reveals a weak spot that is largely unchanged across variants and can be neutralized by an antibody fragment. It sets the stage for the design of pan-variant treatments that could potentially help a lot of vulnerable people."

The researchers, who worked with a team from the University of Pittsburgh, explained that while antibody treatments have been available for COVID-19, some are less effective against muted variants like Omicron.

"Antibodies attach to a virus in a very specific manner, like a key going into a lock. But when the virus mutates, the key no longer fits," Subramaniam explained.

"We've been looking for master keys — antibodies that continue to neutralize the virus even after extensive mutations."