Scientists find mutation in coronavirus which could dent vaccine hopes
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Almost every day we are comforted with news that one research team or another have carried out substantial progress in finally developing a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
However, according to Australian and Taiwanese researches, a particular coronavirus strain isolated in India, carried a particular mutation that could significantly dent the development of a vaccine.
The study claims that the mutation occurs in part of the protein which allows the virus to attach itself with human cells. This structure appears to be targeting those cells which contain ACE2, an enzyme found in lungs, and identified as the key element which allowed the SARS virus to infect people. While scientists had already been working on antibodies that target it, an unexpected structural change could render any efforts made so far almost useless.
According to the research team, which was made of scientists and technical experts from the National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan and from Murdoch University in Australia, explained that this was the first report of a significant mutation in the virus. In a paper, they explained that “the observation of this study raised the alarm that Sars-CoV-2 mutation with varied epitope [something an antibody attaches itself to] profile could arise at any time. This means current vaccine development against Sars-CoV-2 is at great risk of becoming futile.”
While hundreds of strains showing minor differences have already been identified, this particular mutation has been defined as a significant outlier.
It is understood that the patient carrying this strain was a medical student who had travelled to Wuhan.
The new study will have to be verified further, as the possibility of a technical error during the sequencing process.
China, where the virus is thought to have originated, is currently developing five different vaccines, but a researcher involved with the Australian-Taiwanese team insisted that “it is impossible to predict which one is more likely to succeed”. Even worse, he concluded, “they could all end in failure.”
