Pfizer's new corona vaccine reportedly works on some highly infectious mutants
The new coronavirus mRNA vaccine ' BNT162b2 ' developed by pharmaceutical company
Neutralization of N501Y mutant SARS-CoV-2 by BNT162b2 vaccine-elicited sera | bioRxiv
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.07.425740v1
Comprehensive mapping of mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain that affect recognition by polyclonal human serum antibodies | bioRxiv
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.31.425021v1
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appears effective against mutation in new coronavirus variants, study suggests | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-appears-effective-against-mutation-in-new-coronavirus-variants-study-suggests-1.5865885
In December 2020, it was reported that a mutant strain of the new coronavirus was prevalent in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. This mutant strain is more infectious than the conventional new coronavirus, and the total number of infected people in South Africa has exceeded 1 million . Furthermore, in January 2021, it was announced that the mutant strain had already flowed into Japan.
'Coronavirus mutant' is showing signs of epidemic in the UK, experts explain new mutants --GIGAZINE
Richard Ressel, who led the identification of the mutant strain, said that the new coronavirus vaccine, which has already been developed and some have been approved for emergency use, has no effect on this mutant strain. 'It is unlikely that the existing vaccine will work for the mutant strain,' he said.
'It is unlikely that existing vaccines will not work for new coronavirus mutants,' experts explain-GIGAZINE
Pfizer and the University of Texas School of Medicine have unpeer-reviewed papers that show that neutralizing antibodies from the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 that Pfizer was involved in developing also work on mutant strains found in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. It was.
The antigen of the new coronavirus vaccine is a spike protein on the surface of the virus. This speplomer is more than just a decoration, it is for the virus to bind to receptors in the host cell and has a significant effect on the infectivity of the virus.
In the mutant strains found in the United Kingdom and South Africa this time, mutations were found at the site related to the spike protein called 'N501Y'. However, as a result of the experiment, the research team reported that the neutralizing antibody by BNT162b2 works even if at least the N501Y site is mutated. According to Pfizer researcher Phil Dormitzer, it was confirmed that the neutralizing antibody of BNT162b2 is effective against 16 types of mutant strains that differ depending on the mutation site of the gene.
However, a research team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said that when a gene mutated with E484K, which is the most important factor in the formation of spike proteins, was inserted into another virus, the effect of neutralizing antibodies against this virus decreased by about 10 times. I am reporting that I did. The mutant strain found in South Africa and the mutant strain found in Brazil are of the type in which mutations are found in this E484K, and in particular, the mutant strain found in Brazil belongs to the group called 'B.1.1.248 strain' of the spike protein. Amino acid substitutions are found in 12 places. The researchers believe that this mutation at the E484K site is likely the cause of the reduced efficacy of the antibody.
In addition, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, there are reports of reinfection cases with mutant strains of the B.1.1.248 strain in Brazil. Although the mutant strain identified in this report is not the same as the new mutant strain found in a traveler from Brazil in January 2021, a mutation in E484K was found in the B.1.1.248 strain. It was a virus.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that further research on the effectiveness of the vaccine against the E484K mutant is required. Avoidance, wearing a mask, washing hands, etc. are recommended. '
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in Science, Posted by log1i_yk