This analysis may help accelerate the development of more effective treatments against Omicron.
It is noteworthy that the spike protein helps the virus to enter and infect cells.
Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC, said the analysis shows how the oomicron form infects human cells.
The findings, published in the journal Science, shed new light on why Omicron is highly contagious and the analysis will help accelerate the development of more effective treatments, according to a statement released by the University of Vancouver.
“Vaccination against the Omicron form is our best defense,” said Subramaniam, discussing the implications of his team’s research.
“The UBC team is the first in the world to conduct a molecular-level structural analysis of a spike protein of the oomicron form,” the university said.
Subramaniam said, “There are 37 spike protein mutations in the oomicron form, which is three to five times more mutations than any other variant we have seen.” He said, “This is for two reasons. is important. First, the spike protein is how the virus attaches to and infects human cells. Second, that the antibodies bind to the spike protein to neutralize the virus.
“Our study used ‘cryo-electron microscopy’ and other tests to understand how mutations affect the behavior of the oomicron form at the molecular level,” Subramaniam said.
The Omicron form was first identified in South Africa and Botswana in November, and the current wave of COVID-19 is still ongoing due to transmission.
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