Identify two antibodies that promise to fight MERS

Chinese researchers have identified two antibodies that promise to prevent infectious MERS virus, while the number of deaths from the disease has exceeded 100 in the Middle East.

MERS virus still has no treatment - (Photo: US National Institutes of Health)

This is a study of doctors from Tsinghua University and Sichuan University (China), in collaboration with Hong Kong University colleagues.

Accordingly, MERS- 4 and MERS-27 antibodies can prevent a key form of the virus from interacting with cell receptors, allowing the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) to take hold. control.

Experts have published details of the study on the latest issue of Science Translational Medicine, hoping to help quickly develop effective vaccines or therapies.

Since the first case of MERS was confirmed in 2012, there have been 102 deaths in Saudi Arabia and 339 cases identified as infected, ie the death rate is more than 30%.

Scientists believe that MERS is now spreading from camel to human, but is emerging to worry that the virus can evolve from person to person.