Has Israel developed a COVID-19 vaccine? Here's what we know
As the world waits desperately for a COVID-19 vaccine, Israel has given a ray of hope. On Monday, Naftali Bennett, the Defense Minister of the country, announced a "significant breakthrough" in the ongoing research for a vaccine to fight off the pandemic that has killed over 2.6 lakh around the world and sickened as many as 37 lakh. Here's what we know about it.
Bennett said that the scientists at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) - a state-backed defense research lab - have isolated a "monoclonal neutralizing antibody" that attacks the novel coronavirus and neutralizes it in the body of the carrier. "I am proud of the Biological Institute staff," he noted, adding that "the antibody can neutralize the virus within the bodies of those ill."
The immune system of the human body generates antibodies/proteins capable of fighting off viruses like this one. But, in some cases, these proteins aren't produced sufficiently, allowing the virus to take over. To tackle this problem, scientists have been trialing plasma therapy, which involves transfusing blood from recovered patients into sick ones to help them get the antibodies needed to recover quickly.
While plasma therapy has shown promising results, blood transfusion means plenty of antibodies are given to the sick patients, including those that cannot do much. This is where Israel's 'monoclonal' breakthrough comes in; they have managed to select and clone an antibody capable of neutralizing the virus from a single recovered cell. It is like a "guided missile" that would surely kill the virus.
Apart from this, neither Bennett nor the IIBR, which works directly under the office of Israel's Prime Minister, has said anything more about the working of the antibody vaccine in question. IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira told Jerusalem Post that the development phase of the antibody formula has been completed and they are now working to get it patented, which will be followed by mass-production.
Speaking to ANI, Ron Malka, Israel's Ambassador to India, claimed they will share the antibody discovery with the world once everything is finalized. "The processes are not finalized, we are at an advanced stage. Yes, off course, we will share it with the world," he said, adding that "it was too early to know if it is ready for mass development."
