A researcher is using ‘in silico’ analysis to fast-track passive immunity.

Antibody tests look for the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins made in response to infections. Antibodies are disease specific. For example, measles antibodies will protect you from getting measles if you are exposed to it again, but they won’t protect you from getting mumps if you are exposed to mumps.

«Antibodies are important because they prevent infection and heal patients affected by diseases,» said Victor Padilla-Sanchez, a researcher at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. «If we have antibodies, we are immune to disease, as long as they are in your system, you are protected. If you don’t have antibodies, then infection proceeds and the pandemic continues.»

This form of foreign-antibody-based protection is called passive immunity — short-term immunity provided when a person is given antibodies to a disease rather than producing these antibodies through their own immune system.

«We’re at the initial steps of this now, and this is where I’m hoping my work might help,» Padilla-Sanchez said. Padilla-Sanchez specializes in viruses. Specifically, he uses computer models to understand the structure of viruses on the molecular level and uses this information to try to figure out how the virus functions.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was the first new infectious disease identified in the 21st century. This respiratory illness originated in the Guangdong province of China in November 2002. The World Health Organization identified this new coronavirus (SARS-CoV) as the agent that caused the outbreak.

Story Source: Materials provided by University of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center. Original written by Faith Singer-Villalobos. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.