From 2002 to 2004, several SARS outbreaks occurred in humans. It was believed that the virus originated in animals hosts causing humans to be infected with SARS. Therefore, concerns of future human outbreaks from animal strain infections are feared.
The discoveries of the international research team have produced laboratory tests on mouse models that have successfully neutralized the antibody activity both in animals and humans, which is believed to prevent or stabilize future SARS outbreaks.
"This study is important because the viral strain that caused the outbreak in people in 2002 probably no longer exists in nature," according to Dr. Kanta Subbarao.
"What we need to prove for any vaccine, therapeutic, antibody, or drug is that it is effective not only against the strain of SARS virus isolated from people, but also against a variety of animal strains, because animals will be a likely source for re-emergence of the SARS virus," adds Dr. Subbarao.
"This antibody neutralizes all strains of SARS we tested and is likely to neutralize all strains of the virus with known sequences, according to Dr. Dimiter S. Dimitrov.
"There are no other reports for such antibodies available," add Dr. Dimitrov.
"When tested in cells in the laboratory, both antibodies potently neutralized samples of the virus from both [human and animal] outbreaks," according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute news release.
