Highly potent, unique antibody against Covid-19 variants discovered by Indian scientists

"This antibody is unique. Many antibodies that were reported abrogated the virus' 'receptor binding domain' with the human ACE2 receptor -- which made them 'ACE2 blockers'.

Responding to a query as to how significant this development was considering the present Covid variant was apparently mild and treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, Dr Chandele said the virus has not been eradicated yet. (File)

A team of Indian scientists has developed a unique antibody that maintains its neutralising potency against most key Covid-19 variants, including Omicron sub-lineages.

Dr Anmol Chandele of the ICGEB-EMORY Vaccine Program at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in New Delhi, and lead author of the study, told The Indian Express via email, “Studies such as these showcase India’s capacity to do cutting edge work. Making human monoclonal antibodies is a challenging process that requires a high degree of expertise in human immunology, molecular biology and virology.”

“To bring everything together from clinical samples, identifying the precise cell that recognises the virus, isolating singles, cloning the antibody genes it is expressing, making the antibody and then screening it for its function is important for India to generate such in-country capacity. With labs such as the ICGEB-Emory Vaccine Centre establishing such platforms allows India to pivot towards such antibody-based therapies for any infection in the future — while this antibody is specific to Covid, its impact goes beyond Covid,” she added.

“This antibody is unique. Many antibodies that were reported abrogated the virus’ ‘receptor binding domain’ with the human ACE2 receptor — which made them ‘ACE2 blockers’. But as the virus learnt, evolved and mutated, it managed to evade a lot of the monoclonal and vaccine-based immunity,” said Dr Chandele.

“This antibody clone that we discovered does not bind in that region — it binds to what we call the outer RBD region. This region of the virus is conserved across most key variants and sub-lineages of Omicron and so, our antibody continues to neutralise without losing its potency. This was why this study was accepted in a high impact journal,” she added.

Responding to a query as to how significant this development was considering the present Covid variant was apparently mild and treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, Dr Chandele said the virus has not been eradicated yet. “There will always be a portion of the population who will be vulnerable to this now seemingly-mild virus — and so, if there is one lesson that Covid taught us, it is that we should always be prepared, at least for vulnerable individuals that will to be impacted,” Dr Chandele said.

Scientists from ICGEB, New Delhi and Indian Council Of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR, New Delhi) collaborated with Emory Vaccine Center (Atlanta, USA) on this study, which was published in Science Advances on October 5.

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The study was led by Dr Anmol Chandele and Kaja Murali Krishna of the ICGEB-Emory Vaccine Program, in collaboration with Dr Amit Sharma, ICGEB, Dr Rafi Ahmed and scientists from Emory Vaccine Center. It was funded by ICMR and supported by the Indian government’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which have jointly filed a patent for the antibody clone.

Researchers discovered this antibody after single-cell screening memory B cells derived from individuals who had recovered from Covid-19 infection in India. This human monoclonal antibody was tested against several Covid variants including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and the recently emerging and highly infectious Omicron sub-lineages like BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12, BA.4 and BA.5. Scientists found that the antibody maintains its neutralisation potency against all these variants of concern.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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