As it enters its second year, the novel coronavirus continues to surprise scientists with new findings emerging from time to time. A recent scientific study has confirmed the effectiveness of proteins found in the immune system of sharks in combating the pandemic and all its variants so far.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported that the proteins, known as "VNARs," are one-tenth the size of human antibodies, allowing them to access angles and crevices that human antibodies cannot reach. During their tests on the virus, they identified three segments of these proteins among billions that were able to completely prevent the virus from infecting human cells.
These three segments have the capability to strongly bind to small crevices in the spike protein present on the surface of the virus, thus reaching the binding location between the virus and human cells and seemingly preventing this binding process from occurring, according to a report by the British newspaper "Daily Mail."
They also confirmed that these proteins exhibit the same effectiveness in combating other coronaviruses and concerning new variants of the virus, even those that have not yet affected humans.
However, they indicated that treatment using these proteins will not be available at this time and will be accessible during future waves of virus outbreaks. The team also mentioned that they are studying the potential of shark proteins to assist in the treatment and diagnosis of cancers.
Prominent American scientist Anthony Fauci, the White House health crisis advisor, has warned that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading globally, expressing concern over the number of Americans who have not yet received vaccinations. Fauci stated to CNN that this virus is unusual, referencing the rapid spread of Omicron, adding that this variant will become dominant and "we will face difficult weeks or months as we delve deeper into the winter season."
It is noted that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the world, leading to restrictions in many countries, such as the Netherlands, which has imposed a lockdown.
