Researchers have identified an antibody, ‘SC27’, that can fight all known types of the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19, including related viruses found in animals.

An antibody is a protein made by your immune system to help fight harmful invaders such as viruses and bacteria. It recognizes these invaders, attaches to them, and helps your body destroy or neutralize them, preventing you from getting sick.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses its spike protein to infect human cells. Antibodies produced in response bind to the spike protein, stopping the virus from spreading.

The team isolated the ‘SC27’ antibody from the plasma of four patients who had suffered infections after vaccination.

Published in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin highlighted that SC27 recognises the spike protein in all known COVID-19 variants, making it a promising tool to combat mutations of the virus.

This discovery raises hopes for developing robust treatments and vaccines against COVID-19.

Lead researcher William Voss emphasized the goal of developing a universal vaccine that could provide broad protection against rapidly mutating viruses like SARS-CoV-2.

However, the researchers acknowledged that the findings may be limited due to the small sample size, leaving the prevalence of SC27-like antibodies in the general population uncertain.

The team used advanced IgG proteomics technology to study hybrid immunity, also known as Ig-Seq, which refers to an enhanced immune response from both vaccination and infection.

The study authors hope that the discovery of SC27 and similar antibodies will help better protect people from current and future variants of the virus.

The research also showed that hybrid immunity provides stronger protection against Covid-19 than vaccination or infection alone.