The rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has proven something of a mystery. In the lab, the Omicron virus replicates no faster then other COVID variants, and yet this new variant spreads much faster.
Now a team of scientists, led by researchers at UC San Francisco and University College London, have solved the puzzle… and it could lead to breakthrough treatments in the fight against Omicron.
The scientists extensively studied the earlier, very contagious, Alpha variant, and discovered that it shares some common mutations with Omicron that allow both variants to spread faster then other types.
In particular, the Alpha variant contains mutations that suppress the body’s immune response, allowing Alpha to spread further and faster than earlier variants:
The researchers have discovered that the variant has ramped up production of a protein that it uses to stifle infected cells’ immune-stimulating signals. The mutations responsible for this change likely help the Alpha variant evade immune detection and accelerates its transmission, and importantly similar mutations exist in Omicron.
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In addition, the team discovered that the Alpha-infected cells contained large amounts of three viral proteins known to help the virus evade the body’s immune response. Further experiments showed that one of them, called Orf9b, accomplishes that task by latching on to a protein that switches on immune-stimulating genes.
The Omicron variant appears to suppress the body’s immune responses even more strongly than Alpha, allowing it to spread faster than other variants.
The GOOD NEWS: Now that we know why Omicron spreads so quickly, scientists hope to develop drugs that stop Omicron from suppressing the immune system, allowing the immune system to fight Omicron much more effectively.
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