Sharks have small proteins (VNARs) identical to , which prevent the infection of coronaviruses such as Covid-19 in human cells, reveals new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the United States.
These antibodies are a tenth the size of human antibodies, and they can reach the infection and fight it off in a way that seconds cannot. Scientists also came to the conclusion that these antibodies are also able to fight the coronavirus WIV1-CoV, present only in bats, but which can also infect human cells.
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With the evolution and transmission of viruses between animals and humans, studies like these are important in order to develop treatments for prevention and protection.
“The big problem is that there are a number of coronaviruses that are about to emerge in humans,” explains Professor of Pathology, Aaron LeBeau. “What we are doing is preparing an arsenal of shark VNAR therapies that can be used in the future for SARS outbreaks. It’s a kind of insurance against the future”, he concludes.
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