Monoclonal antibody (mAbs)
According to a clinical trial carried out by a team from University of Science and Technology of China, a mAbs termed Tocilizumab had proven efficient in treating the SARS-CoV-2’s patients.(Hefei, 2020) As reported, Tocilizumab together with conventional treatment, by blocking the inflammatory storm, could prevent patients from transitioning to severe and critical illness, thereby reducing the mortality rate. In phase I of the clinical trial with 14 participant patients, after treated with the new treatment regimen of ”Tocilizumab + conventional treatment”, the body temperature of all 11 patients with fever symptom returned to normal (14 participant patients in total, 11 with fever); the respiratory oxygenation index improved in vary degrees; 4 patients had displayed a better absorption of CT lesions within their lungs.(Hefei, 2020)
A team from the Fudan University had successfully obtained the first case of human-originated antibody of the novel virus. The team isolated single B cells from samples of convalescent patients of the novel coronavirus, cloned the variable region of the antibody by PCR, and quickly obtained and screened hundreds of human antibodies strains. They found that many of them can recognize the RBD antigen of SARS-CoV-2. (BioArt, 2020) This research provides candidate antibodies for the development of human Neutralization Antibody Test. Also, a company called Vir Biotechnology is currently working on anti-coronavirus monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind and neutralize the SARS-CoV-2.(Biotechnology, 2020)