Chinese mRNA antibody shows promising results for long-term Covid protection

An mRNA antibody therapy developed by Chinese researchers has shown promising results in animal testing, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency. Tests on mice showed the therapy offers long-term protection against Covid-19. The report has been published online in the international journal Cell Research.

Test findings revealed that the neutralising human monoclonal antibody, mRNA-HB27-LNP, provided effective protection against Covid-19 infection in mice for up to 63 days. The antibody was produced on a long-established mRNA-technology platform by researchers from the Suzhou Abogen Biosciences company and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, a Chinese military medical research institute.

Different doses of the antibody were used in testing, with animals receiving either 1 mg/kg or 0.2 mg/kg. All the mice in these groups survived without developing any clinical symptoms. 80% of animals given 0.04 mg/kg survived, with only minimal or very mild inflammation seen in that group. The treatment has also been shown to offer total protection against the Beta variant of Covid-19 in animals. The 63-day protection against Covid-19 infection is much longer than that seen in traditional protein antibodies, according to the report.

SOURCE: Xinhua