Skip to Content

Stock photo from Pixabay
Rotterdam

Dutch research team first to discover Covid-19 antibodies

The first drug capable of attacking and neutralizing the Coronavirus could be ready for experimentation after a group of Dutch researchers discovered an antibody.

Published: March 15, 2020, 7:34 am

    Read more

    A team of ten scientific researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam and Utrecht University say they are the first in the world to discover an antibody capable of fighting off an infection by the Covid-19 variant of Coronavirus.

    The research is ready and will be evaluated by the journal Nature. These monoclonal antibodies may be used in the first drug in the world that specializes in detecting and preventing the Coronavirus infection. A first brief announcement for the study was published on the BioRxiv website.

    The Erasmus Magazine reports, however, that it will take time before seeing this new defense in the hands of doctors.

    The scientific magazine noted how the antibody has yet to “be tested on humans and research peer reviewed or published by Nature“. It is therefore probable that the world will have to wait a few more months before seeing the new drug in action.

    Cellular biology professor Frank Grosveld, who is part of the research team, explained: “We are now trying to involve a pharmaceutical company capable of producing the antibody on a large scale. Before being commercialized, however, the antibody must go through a phase of long development and be tested for its pharmacological properties.”

    The pharmaceutical company contacted by Grosveld and his team appears to be interested in the discovery.

    The group of Dutch researchers who discovered what could be the definitive Coronavirus drug is led by Chinese researcher Chunyan Wang. It would have the ability to attack and neutralize the virus that is causing thousands of victims worldwide.

    It is a monoclonal antibody, capable of recognizing the protein that acts on the human organism by infecting it. The antibody has the ability to bind to the aforementioned protein and, consequently, is able to prevent the virus from connecting to the respiratory cells.

    This process therefore prevents the penetration of the virus. This drug has been officially defined by researchers as pivotal “for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19”.

    The discovery could lead to an antiviral medication, and the ability for people to test themselves at home for the presence of the virus.

    “As far as we know, this is the very first antibody that blocks the infection,” Grosveld explained to the magazine. “Finding something like this is very rare,” told Erasmus Magazine and when congratulated with their findings, he added: “I am too old to jump on a table.”

    “Here we report a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 (and SARS-CoV),” the researchers state in their academic paper’s abstract. This is the SARS-2 virus, which causes Coronavirus induced disease 19, or Covid-19 for short.

    The groups of scientists maintain that the antibody they found “neutralizes” the virus, and “offers the potential to prevent and/or treat COVID-19, and possibly also other future emerging diseases in humans caused by viruses from the Sarbecovirus subgenus”.

    Their research could lead to a medicine rather than a vaccine, to be developed much faster than a vaccine. It would also be more expensive to produce than a vaccine.

    “We are now trying to get a pharmaceutical company on board – which is looking promising, by the way – that can produce the antibody on a large scale as a medicine,” Grosveld said.

    “If you were to take this as a patient, it is expected – only an expectation right now – that the infection will be stopped. And so it can give the patient an opportunity to recover,” he told the magazine.

    Consider donating to support our work

    Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.

    Keep ​your language polite​. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in​,​ for example​, ​Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.

    If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violation​s​ of​ any​ law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.

    If your comments are subject to preview ​by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.

    We reserve the right to del​ete​ comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.

    Europe
    Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the Catholic bishops who signed the letter, which was read out in churches throughout Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland over the Easter weekend. Photo: The Catholic Church

    Care prompts bishops to criticize transgender ideology

    The Catholic bishops of the Scandinavian countries presented an open five-page letter criticizing transgender ideology on March 21, just before Easter. The document primarily expresses care and advice and was read aloud in Catholic churches in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the signatories of the document.

    FREEZING IN THEIR HOMES is the new grim reality for many Brits and Northern Europeans. Margaret is 92 years old and has just come in from the winter cold, but no warmth awaits her at home. She fears her own home more than the icy streets. Next to her are four thick blankets, and on the shelf above the fireplace, which she can no longer afford to buy wood for, is a meter showing the daily cost of electricity (inset). It shows £1.03, about 13 SEK. When it reaches £3, about 38 SEK, she is forced to turn off the little heat she has to afford it. Still image: ITW News

    Brits Forced to Live in Darkness and Cold

    Food prices are rising at a furious pace, fastest in Scotland in almost half a century. At the same time, energy prices are at record highs. People are forced to choose between freezing or going hungry, and a majority of Scots are forced to live in cold and darkness to cope with bills. Old generations' tricks for saving and keeping warm are returning. Nevertheless, it is feared that 10,000 Brits will die of cold homes this winter. We present the Swedish Public Health Agency's guidelines on indoor temperature. Governments in Europe are introducing rationing and monitoring of food purchases. Net-zero emissions are a lie that, in practice, de-industrializes the West and dramatically lowers our standard of living.

    Thousands of Flemish farmers block roads in Brussels against nitrogen policy

    BrusselsMore than 2500 farmers from Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region gathered at Brussels' central Arts-Loi street and blocked roads with tractors toward Brussels to protest the regional government's plan to limit nitrogen emissions.

    Orban: EU energy sanctions costing citizens billions

    BudapestHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that some western states could soon send troops to Ukraine. He also criticized the fact that the EU sanctions against Russia had cost Hungarian taxpayers tens of billions of euros.

    Italy: New leader of the Social Democrats is one of Soros’ ‘preferred politicians’

    RomeDuring the election campaign, Elly Schlein presented herself as the standard-bearer of the poorest. However, her background and previous work raise doubts about her honesty.

    UK greenhouses shut down due to high energy costs

    LondonIn Great Britain, a particularly depressing facet of the crisis is now showing its first contours - and thus anticipating what is likely to happen in other European countries in the near future: because of the exploding energy prices, agriculture is being strangled and fresh produce has to be rationed.

    Lisbon opens borders to all Portuguese speakers

    LisbonNot only the German and Italian governments keep opening new paths for immigration. Portugal, too, has opened a Pandora's box and is paving the way for possibly millions of non-European immigrants to the EU – something which is not mentioned by the mainstream media.

    Illegal immigration to Italy has reached its highest level ever

    RomeIn Italy, despite the overwhelming right-wing electoral success in September, there is still nothing to be seen of the promised asylum turnaround – on the contrary. Giorgia Meloni has been in office for five months, but the arrivals of migrants in Italy have doubled compared to the previous year.

    Dismantling diplomacy with ‘feminist foreign policy’

    BudapestGerman Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) wants to counter German security issues abroad with feminist politics. Gender training, LGBTQ events and quotas are now part of their new guidelines, which are intended to bring about "cultural change". The German ambassador to Hungary, Julia Gross, provided an embarrassing example.

    Germans demand investigation of Nord Stream sabotage

    BerlinAfter the sensational revelations by US investigative reporter Seymour Hersh about the perpetrators of the Nord Stream attacks on September 26, 2022, the German government has remained silent. It does not want to comment on Hersh's research results, according to which the pipelines were blown up by Americans and Norwegians.

    Go to archive