XPost: misc.news.internet.discuss   
   From: here@is.invalid   
      
   Scientists Develop a New Molecule That Blocks COVID-19 Infection   
      
   The newly developed molecule belongs to a class of compounds known as   
   RNA aptamers and it is based on the same type of building blocks that   
   are used for mRNA vaccines. This makes them much cheaper and easier to   
   manufacture than the antibodies that are currently used to treat   
   Covid-19 and to detect viral infection using rapid antigen tests.   
      
   An aptamer is a piece of DNA or RNA that folds into a 3D structure   
   that can recognize a specific target molecule of interest. By   
   attaching itself to the virus surface, the RNA aptamer prevents the   
   Spike protein from serving as a key that allows the virus to enter a   
   cell.   
      
   Hence, the RNA aptamer is not a new type of vaccine but a compound   
   that can potentially stop the virus from spreading in the body once   
   someone is exposed to the virus.   
      
   The efficient binding to SARS-CoV-2 virus also means that the aptamer   
   can be used to test for covid-19 infection   
      
   "We have started testing the new aptamer in rapid tests and we expect   
   to be able to detect very low concentrations of the virus," says   
   Professor J+APg-rgen Kjems from Aarhus University who is the main author   
   of the article which has just been published in the prestigious   
   journal, PNAS.   
      
   https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-develop-a-new-molecule-that-   
   locks-covid-19-infection/   
      
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