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Powerful antibody to kill dengue virus found

Published

10 years ago

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Singapore: Raising hope for the development of effective dengue treatment, researchers have identified a super-potent antibody which requires a minute amount to neutralise the virus.

Only nine-10 g of antibody 5J7 is needed to stop the infection of dengue serotype 3 virus (DENV-3), the findings showed.

“We are optimistic that we will make a treatment breakthrough within these few years but antibodies against all the other serotypes have to be identified first,” said senior author Shee Mei Lok from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore.

Over the last 50 years, the incidence of dengue virus has increased by 30 times worldwide. However, till now, there is no licensed dengue vaccine or therapeutic agent due to the presence of four circulating virus serotypes (DENV1-4) complicating their development, the study noted.

In this recent study, researchers isolated 5J7 from 200 different candidate antibody molecules by studying blood samples from a dengue-infected patient.

By examining the virus-antibody complex structure at very high magnification, they showed that each arm of the antibody is surprisingly effective in grabbing three surface proteins on the surface of the virus at the same time.

“The movement of virus surface proteins is highly essential for invading cells – you can think of antibody 5J7 locking the virus surface proteins, thus strapping the virus,” she pointed out.

The study appeared in the journal Nature Communications.

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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

Published

3 years ago

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May 4, 2022

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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