
Clues to COVID-19 coronavirus's vulnerability emerge from an antibody against SARS A Scripps Research study reveals a likely site of vulnerability on the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
April 03, 2020
LA JOLLA, CA An antibody recovered from a survivor of the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s has revealed a potential vulnerability of the new coronavirus at the root of COVID-19, according to a study from scientists at Scripps Research.
The study, published today in Science, is the first to map a human antibody's interaction with the new coronavirus at near-atomic-scale resolution. Although the antibody was produced in response to an infection of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which is caused by the SARS-CoV virus, it cross-reacts with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
The structural mapping revealed a nearly identical site on both coronaviruses to which the antibody binds, suggesting a functionally important and vulnerable site for this family of coronaviruses.
The knowledge of conserved sites like this can aid in structure-based design of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2, and these would also protect against other coronaviruses including those that may emerge in the future, says the study's senior author Ian Wilson, DPhil, Hansen Professor of Structural Biology and Chair of the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research.
SARS-CoV, which causes SARS, originated in horseshoe bats, but jumped to humans in South China in 2002, eventually infecting more than 8,000 people and killing almost 800 before it was quelled by lockdowns, quarantines and other measures.
SARS-CoV-2, a closely related coronavirus that causes COVID-19, first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Much more infectious than its viral cousin, it has led to a pandemic, causing far more cases of illness and fatalities than SARS. The development of a vaccine or even an effective treatment could significantly ameliorate the crisis.
The Wilson lab is known for its pioneering structural studies of antibodies bound to viruses including HIV and influenza. These studies have been used to inform designs of vaccines and antibody drugs, as well as other therapeutics. Along with hundreds of other labs around the world, Wilson's team is now focused on SARS-CoV-2.
Our ultimate goal here is to obtain structural information on antibodies and their binding sites, and use that to guide SARS-CoV-2 vaccine design, just as our lab has done with influenza and HIV, says the study's co-first author Nicholas Wu, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Wilson lab.
The new study centers on an anti-SARS-CoV antibody called CR3022 that was originally isolated in 2006 by the pharmaceutical company Crucell Holland B.V. in the Netherlands. A report from Chinese scientists earlier this year indicated that CR3022 cross-reacts against SARS-CoV-2. Wilson's team used their structural mapping expertise to determine how the antibody binds to SARS-CoV-2.
A key finding is that the antibody's binding site is highly similar between the two coronaviruses differing by just four protein building blocks called amino-acids. That high degree of similarity implies that the site has an important function that would be lost if it mutated significantly.
Yet, the site's function remains mysterious. The Scripps Research analysis found that the antibody binding site is relatively remote from the part of the virus that grabs hold of cell-surface protein receptors in preparation for penetrating cells in our lungs. That suggests that, at least for SARS-CoV, CR3022 neutralizes the virus's ability to infect cells in some indirect way.
Adding to the mystery is the finding that the antibody binding site on these viruses is not normally accessible to antibodies.
We found that this region is usually hidden inside the virus, and only exposed when that part of the virus changes its structure, as it would in natural infection, says co-first author Meng Yuan, PhD, also a research associate in the Wilson lab.
Despite the slightness of difference between the two coronaviruses, the antibody binds much less tightly to SARS-CoV-2 than it does to the SARS virus, and cannot neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in lab dish tests as it does SARS-CoV.
Still, the findings suggest that the binding site for this antibody on SARS-CoV-2 is a site of vulnerability, and that antibodies binding it more tightly would plausibly succeed in neutralizing the virus. Such neutralizing antibodies, if developed into therapies, could be used to treat COVID-19 patients and to provide temporary protection from the virus to uninfected individuals, for example healthcare workers.
The fact that this binding site is highly conserved between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 also hints that there may be antibodies, still to be discovered, that can effectively neutralize both viruses and perhaps in the same way, can neutralize future emergent coronaviruses before they can cause pandemics.
Labs at Scripps Research and throughout the world are currently seeking antibodies, via blood donations, from people who have recovered from COVID-19 for further studies along these lines.
Authors of A highly conserved cryptic epitope in the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV are Meng Yuan, Nicholas Wu, Xueyong Zhu, Chang-Chun Lee, and Ian Wilson, of Scripps Research; and Ray So, Huibin Lv, and Chris Mok of the University of Hong Kong.
Support was provided in part by the National Institutes of Health (K99 AI139445) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1170236).
Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Wilson, Ian
North America Stories
06/03/2026
TNT Sports and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have reached a mul...
06/03/2026
OffBall and TOGETHXR, two influential young media companies in sports, announce a strategic and operational partnership in a shared push to scale and create inn...
06/03/2026
InfoComm 2026, a destination for AV, IT, broadcast, and AI-driven systems, annou...
06/03/2026
LTN and MediaKind announce a strategic partnership to integrate MediaKind's ...
06/03/2026
X Games and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) announce that New Orleans, Louisiana, will host the first-ever X Games Championship event - the fi...
06/03/2026
As part of a busy start of the year at Chyron, the AXIS team developed a set of improvements for AXIS Maps. The features released empower users with more flexib...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast ind...
06/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight introduces Nimbra Live Intelligence, which definin...
06/03/2026
SES announces that it has added new Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite capacity ...
06/03/2026
LucidLink, the cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, announce LucidLink Connect, a new solution that enables real-time...
06/03/2026
Panasonic helped bring the world of Paddington: The Musical to life through imme...
06/03/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
06/03/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, NASCAR Cup Se...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Riedel Communications opens with a clear message to the North American market: production technology does not have to be complex.
This ye...
06/03/2026
Midco Sports isn't your typical regional sports network. Backed by nearly a ...
06/03/2026
The stories around the Paralympics are really touching and the athletes, the atmosphere it is all amazing and we want to use new technologies to help us tell th...
06/03/2026
Apple TV subscribers will have access to as many as 30 additional live feeds acr...
06/03/2026
Nielsen Highlights Women's Sports Viewership Milestones Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8
New York March 5, 2026 According to Nielsen...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
Spanish FM and online broadcaster esRadio has selected DHD RX2 audio production consoles for use at its studio headquarters in Madrid. Part of the Libertad Digi...
06/03/2026
LucidLink, the cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced LucidLink Connect, a new solution that enables re...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast industry, is launching BeckFlow, the first web-based schematic documentation platfo...
06/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight introduces Nimbra Live Intelligence defining a new category and setting a new standard for live operations: the Open Media Platfor...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Interra Systems will showcase its latest advancements in automated QC, real-time monitoring, and captioning reinforcing its position as ...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Riedel Communications opens with a clear message to the North American market: production technology does not have to be complex. This yea...
06/03/2026
New partnership combines on-prem video processing with reliable IP transport to support the transition from C-Band satellite to IP distribution
LTN and MediaKi...
06/03/2026
Back to All News
Announcing Barbara - Becoming Shirin David
Entertainment
06 March 2026
GlobalGermany
Link copied to clipboard
Available exclusively on N...
06/03/2026
A new clue to how the body detects physical force Scripps Research scientists offer new insight into how the body detects light touch and how disruptions in tha...
05/03/2026
More than 250 sports-graphics professionals packed into The Cutting Room in New ...
05/03/2026
Cosm announces that it will open its third immersive entertainment venue at downtown Atlanta's Centennial Yards on June 10, 2026. Its first public event wil...
05/03/2026
Following last year's broadcast television debut, The CW Network is growing its partnership with the Savannah Bananas, announcing that it will be the exclus...
05/03/2026
TGL presented by SoFi, the primetime, men's team golf league, announces AT&T...
05/03/2026
Ateme, which specializes in video compression software, announces that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Netflix for the deployment of its TITAN L...
05/03/2026
As part of its strategy to deliver flexible and scalable media solutions, NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has redesigned an outside broadcast (OB) unit to help b...
05/03/2026
Net Insight's Nimbra Edge and the Nimbra 400 series are now included in YouTube's Live verified encoders list. This confirms that the solutions have bee...
05/03/2026
Audinate, the creator of the Dante audio networking platform, announces the laun...
05/03/2026
LiveU announces the first large-scale deployment of its AI-driven LiveU IQ (LIQ) technology at a global, multi-venue sporting event, setting a new benchmark for...
05/03/2026
SportsEngine Play, a first-of-its-kind subscription streaming service for captur...
05/03/2026
The senior from small-town Pennsylvania has had a huge impact on the Spartans' B1G Student U program
In the live-sports-video industry, the future is brigh...
05/03/2026
Real-time animated presentation of Capitals-Rangers game blends tracking data, o...
05/03/2026
With Super Bowl LX taking place in Santa Clara, all eyes were not only on the field - but on the future of fandom itself. New technologies are being introduced ...
05/03/2026
The network aims for a uniform production while accommodating tech differences i...
05/03/2026
MLB Network produces the host broadcast, and FOX layers in cameras, studio prese...
05/03/2026
Barbara Hammer appears in Barbara Forever by Brydie O'Connor, an official se...
05/03/2026
Quality control (QC) has long been a gatekeeper of technical fidelity. Editors and technicians have adhered to a simple, disciplined checklist: bitrate, resolut...