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Business News/ Science / Health/  Indian Scientists culture novel coronavirus to develop vaccine, test drugs
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Indian Scientists culture novel coronavirus to develop vaccine, test drugs

novel coronavirus enters human cell by binding with the ACE-2 receptor on cell surface. Not all cells have ACE-2 receptors
  • Administering antibodies does not provide immunity like a vaccine does but can be used as anti-dotes against the virus
  • Moderna last week said its coronavirus vaccine candidate produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers. (Photo: AP)Premium
    Moderna last week said its coronavirus vaccine candidate produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers. (Photo: AP)

    NEW DELHI: Indian scientists have established stable cultures of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), isolated from patients’ samples, to develop vaccine and test potential drugs to treat covid-19 disease.

    Virologists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) explained that the novel coronavirus enters human cell by binding with the ACE-2 receptor on the cell surface. Not all cells have ACE-2 receptors.

    Human epithelial cells, which form the barrier between the inside and outside of human body protecting it from viruses--in the respiratory tract copiously express ACE-2 receptors causing respiratory disease in person infected with coronavirus. Human epithelial cells, however, cannot be grown in lab.

    "Currently, primary epithelial cells generated from human origins do not grow for many generations in labs, which is key to culturing viruses continuously. At the same time, the virus grown in labs need an ‘immortal’ cell line," said Dr Krishnan H Harshan, principal scientist, CCMB.

    "They use Vero cells (kidney epithelial cell lines from green African monkey), which express ACE-2 proteins and carry a cell division that allows them to proliferate indefinitely," he said.

    Scientists said virus when cultivated on a large scale and inactivated can be used as inactivated virus vaccine. "Once we inject the inactivated virus, the human immune system triggers the production of germ-specific antibodies. One can inactivate the virus by heat or chemical means. The inactivated virus can trigger antibody response, but does not infect and make us sick as they cannot reproduce," said a scientist.

    For the development of antibodies or antidots, virus cultures are important. Inactivated viruses can trigger antibody response in other mammalian hosts in addition to humans.

    Various such hosts are currently under test for their efficiency of antibody response. Such antibodies generated in these non-human hosts can be purified, processed and collected. The antibodies can be used as therapeutic intervention for patients suffering from the infection, the scientists said, adding that such antibodies trigger antiviral response upon injection into humans and have the potential of limiting the infection. Administering antibodies does not provide immunity like a vaccine does, but can be considered as anti-dotes against the virus.

    These cultures may also help screen drugs. Potential drugs can be tested against the virus in a test-tube for their efficacy. "Using the Vero cell lines to grow the coronavirus, CCMB is now in a position to isolate and maintain viral strains from different regions. We are working towards producing viruses in huge quantities that can be inactivated, and used in vaccine development and antibody production for therapeutic purposes," said Dr Rakesh Mishra, director, CCMB.

    CCMB has also started testing potential drugs with other partners such as the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) using this viral culture. “We hope that such systems are replicated at multiple research institutes and private companies to become a useful resource in the fight against this pandemic as well as for future preparedness," said Mishra.

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    Published: 29 May 2020, 06:19 PM IST
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