There is a century-old blood-derived treatment where antibodies from the plasma or serum of those who have recovered from a disease are used to help boost the immunity of newly infected patients and those at risk of contracting the disease. Amidst all the rush to produce a vaccine for COVID-19, but the realization of one being nowhere in sight, Johns Hopkins immunologist Arturo Casadevall suggested reviving the old proven-to-work treatment to help slow the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Casadevall and his team say the antibodies may bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) as it did when they used the technique with the SARS epidemic, mumps in 1934, measles, and the 1918 flu pandemic. COVID-19 survivors can end up making a big difference in fighting the global pandemic.
The paper proposing this treatment, which was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, writes:
As of early 2020, humanity is confronting a pandemic in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 causes coronavirus disease, abbreviated as COVID-19. At the time of this writing, SARS-CoV-2 is spreading in multiple countries, threatening a pandemic that will affect billions of people. This virus appears to be a new human pathogen. Currently, there are no vaccines, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), or drugs available for SARS-CoV-2, although many are in rapid development and some may be available in a short time. This Viewpoint argues that human convalescent serum is an option for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease that could be rapidly available when there are sufficient numbers of people who have recovered and can donate immunoglobulin-containing serum.
The procedure could be set up at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore within a matter of weeks with the right pieces in place. Casadevall said:
Deployment of this option requires no research or development. It could be deployed within a couple of weeks since it relies on standard blood-banking practices.
How Would It Work?
- Physicians would ask recovered COVID-19 survivors to donate their blood.
- Next, a medical lab would isolate the sear from the blood.
- The serum would then go through intensive processing that removes other trace illnesses or toxins.
- After that, it can be safely injected into patients at risk or those who have already contracted the disease.
Since the procedure of isolating plasma or serum is a long-established technology, it can be performed using equipment typically found in blood-banking facilities and hospitals. The process is as safe as a blood transfusion.
Doctors are already using plasma therapy in Shanghai, China, with promising early results. Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Japan has also started testing the treatment. The biggest challenge is that, to maximize the boost to a patient’s immunity precise timing is crucial. Furthermore, the procedure is not a cure; instead, a temporary measure to help slow down the spread of the disease until a more robust option, like a vaccine, is available.
