A new study has shown that multiple mutations in the Omicron variant allow this version of the coronavirus to bind to human cells more efficiently than previous strains of the COVID virus, according to the Daily Mail.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada have studied this option using cryo-electron microscopy, a technique that produces images of the virus at incredibly high resolution. Scientists have found that Omicron has a much higher binding affinity than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, “due to the new connections created between the virus and human cell receptors, said Dr. Shriram Subramaniam, lead scientist involved in the study.
In addition, the researchers tested the effect of Omicron against human and monoclonal antibodies, finding that the new variant is more resistant to these particles of the immune system than other variants of COVID-19.
This study has been published as a preprint and has yet to be peer-reviewed, but it is consistent with other recent research on the highly infectious properties of the Omicron variant.
The Omicron COVID variant was first detected in South Africa at the end of November and has spread rapidly worldwide since then. This variant is now the dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 73 percent of new cases, according to official figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
One estimate is that Omicron is spreading three to five times faster than Delta, and its incidence doubles every two days.
New research may help explain why this option is so contagious.
“The Omicron variant is unprecedented as it has 37 spike protein mutations — 3-5 times more mutations than any other variant,” explains Dr. Shriram Subramaniam, lead author of the study and professor of biochemistry at the University of British Columbia.
Increasing the number of mutations in the spike protein is important for two reasons, Subramaniam says: “First, because the spike protein is how the virus attaches to and infects human cells. Second, because antibodies attach to the spike protein to neutralize the virus. “
As a result, small spike mutations in the protein can dramatically alter the way the coronavirus is transmitted and how well the immune system can fight it.
Dr. Subramaniam and his colleagues used cryoelectron microscopy to investigate mutations in the Omicron variant. In this microscopic technique, scientists use powerful electron microscopes to study the coronavirus in detail – down to the individual atom.
Of the 37 mutations in the Omicron variant spike protein, 15 mutations are found in the part of the virus that binds to human cells.
The coronavirus specifically binds to a human cell receptor called ACE2, which is located throughout the body – in the lungs, heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs.
Although some of the cell-binding mutations of the Omicron variant also occur in other variants, some of them are unique to Omicron.
Using microscopic images, Dr. Subramaniam’s team found that some of the new mutations create additional bonds between the virus and ACE2 receptors. These new mutations appear to “increase the binding affinity (a characteristic that quantifies the strength of interaction between substances -” MK “) of binding, says Dr. Subramaniam, pointing out that Omicron may adhere more tightly to human cells.
The researchers compared the binding affinity of Omicron with that of the Delta variant and the parental coronavirus using an imaging technique that provides data on how small molecules interact with each other. “Overall, the results show that Omicron has a much higher binding affinity than the parent SARS-CoV-2 virus, with levels more comparable to what we see with the Delta variant,” Subramaniam said.
The results showed that the binding affinity of Omicron is slightly higher than that of Delta and significantly higher than that of the parent coronavirus.
Subramaniam’s team also investigated the ability of the Omicron spike protein to evade human antibodies and antibodies from monoclonal antibody treatments. This analysis confirmed real-world data showing that Omicron is more capable of avoiding antibodies than previous options, which means that treatment is less successful. “Notably, Omicron was less resistant to immunity from vaccines compared to immunity from natural infection in unvaccinated COVID patients,” says Sriram Subramaniam. “This shows that vaccination remains our best defense against the Omicron variant.
Both the increased binding affinity of the Omicron variant and its ability to evade antibodies are both “likely contributing factors to its increased transmissibility,” Subramaniam said.
While the study has yet to be peer-reviewed, it is consistent with other recent research on Omicron’s ability to spread rapidly. Last week, a research team from the University of Hong Kong reported that the Omicron variant reproduces about 70 times faster than the Delta variant in a person’s respiratory tract during the first day of a patient’s infection.
This rapid replication in the respiratory tract suggests that when someone infected with Omicron breathes, more viral particles are produced than with previous versions.
Additional research on Omicron will provide more information on the treatment of patients infected with this variant, as well as those infected with other variants that may mutate from Omicron.
“Our team has a strong focus on identifying neutralizing antibodies that are effective across the full range of options and how they can be used to develop treatment-resistant options,” Subramaniam said. “It can help us stay ahead of the options once and for all.”
See also: “Scientists talk about” super immunity “against the coronavirus” Omicron “
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