On April 1, according to the Chongqing Medical University (CQMU), the team from its Center of Immunology has successfully established a technical platform for rapid antibody screening and obtained human monoclonal antibodies of the novel coronavirus. This breakthrough provides a key technical platform for further screening of neutralizing antibodies of the novel coronavirus.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been no specific medicine so far. Scientists believe that during the convalescence, the patient’s body can produce a large number of specific antibodies with antiviral capability, which can control the virus, alleviate symptoms, and even cure the disease. Practices also prove that the plasma of convalescent patients can effectively alleviate the symptoms of severe patients and reduce the fatality rate.

However, due to the limited plasma sources of convalescent patients, the need for disease prevention and treatment cannot be met. Therefore, obtaining the neutralizing antibodies (i.e., the corresponding antibodies produced when pathogenic microorganisms invade the body) from the peripheral blood (blood other than bone marrow) of convalescent patients becomes the goal of the global medical and scientific community.

The Center of Immunology of CQMU quickly launched the emergency project for the development of antibodies of the novel coronavirus. “Monoclonal antibody is the most important biotechnological product except for the vaccine and recombinant protein. It undergoes four stages: murine, chimeric, humanized, and human monoclonal antibody. Human monoclonal antibody medicine has features such as strong targeting ability and mild side effect,” introduced Jin Aishun, Head of Department of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, College of Basic Medicine of CQMU.

Based on previous research, the team successfully develops a series of rapid antibody screening technologies, such as isolating the lymphocyte with only a small amount of peripheral blood of convalescent patients, activating memory B cells in vitro and differentiating plasma cells, analyzing and sorting plasma cells, obtaining the antibody gene, and antibody gene cloning and expression, and obtains multiple human monoclonal antibodies of the novel coronavirus within ten days.

This series of rapid antibody screening technologies are expected to provide a solid technical platform for the emergency diagnosis, prevention, and control of emerging, emergent, and severe infectious diseases and other public health emergencies in China.