A joint study by multiple laboratories in two Hong Kong universities found a broadly neutralizing antibody ZCB11. Isolated from local mRNA vaccine recipients, ZCB11 showed potent antiviral activity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In live virus challenge experiments, administration of ZCB11 protects from lung infection by Omicron in golden Syrian hamsters.
In this study, a research team at University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) medical school established an antibody replication technology platform, which is capable of antibody gene amplification of a single memory B cell. Using this technology, the researchers screened blood samples from 34 BNT162b2 vaccine recipients in Hong Kong, and found ZCB11, a potent and broad-spectrum antibody, in the blood from one of these vaccinees.
