In the video, they captured the spread of coronavirus in live animals for the first time – SME.sk

OTTAWA. Videos from a new study by American and Canadian scientists at Yale University and the University of Montreal capture the spread of the virus for the first time SARS-CoV-2 in live animals.

As a result, experts were able to observe how the infection moved from the nose of the mice to their lungs and other organs. Yale University reported on the study on its website.

Virus on video

“For the first time, we were able to visualize the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a live animal in real time. And importantly, we also showed the places where antibodies must act to stop the infection,” said a co-author of research at the University of Yale Priti Kumar.

The images showed the progression of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the animal body as well as the action of antibodies collected from people who had recovered from covid.

The researchers also found during the study that antibodies without the ability to activate NK cells of the immune system (so-called natural killers) are less effective in fighting infection.

In mice, the virus spread in the same way as in humans: a high viral load first appeared in the nose, from where it then spread rapidly to the lungs and eventually to other organs.

The mice died after the virus entered their brains. The scientific team was able to monitor the spread of the virus at the level of individual cells thanks to bioluminescent labeling and advanced microscopy.

Not all antibodies work the same

Researchers in other infected mice used plasma obtained from humans who had recovered from covid.

Plasma injected into the body of mice was shown to stop the spread of the virus three days after infection. If these antibodies were administered before the animals came into contact with the virus, they were able to prevent the infection.

“These imaging results can be used to quickly determine if treatment is working – in as little as three to five days. This is a significant time savings that can be used to develop countermeasures in the event of a current pandemic and future ones,” he said. co-author of the study Pradeep Uchil.

One of the study’s findings is that not all antibodies work equally well.

“Previously, we thought that it was enough to neutralize the virus to prevent infection, but now we also see that antibodies must be present at the right time in the right place in the body and also in the right amount,” Kumar added.

“Antibodies are multi-purpose molecules with several properties. In this study, we show that their ability to summon other cells of the immune system and eliminate infected cells is crucial; this is the only way to ensure optimal protection,” added co-author Andrés Finzi.

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