VOA慢速英语--羊驼血液中抗体有助消灭新冠病毒

Llama antibodies could soon be playing a part in the worldwide fight against COVID-19, if tests being done by a Belgian company live up to their early results.

Researchers from the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology in Ghent say antibodies taken from a llama named Winter have reduced the spread of coronavirus infections, including variants², in laboratory testing.

Dominique Tersago is chief medical officer of ExeVir, a company that works with VIB-UGent.

Tersago described the technology as a possible "game-changer," which means something that has a big, good effect on a situation.

The technology's aim is to help rather than replace vaccines³. It could possibly be used to help protect people with weaker immune systems and treat infected people in hospitals.

Unusually small, llama antibodies are able to attach, or bind⁴, to part of the virus's protein spike⁵. Tersago said, "at the moment we're not seeing mutations of a high frequency anywhere near where the binding⁷ site is."

The antibodies also showed "strong neutralization⁸ activity" against the highly infectious Delta⁹ variant¹, she added.

Neutralization means to stop something from being effective or harmful.

Researchers expect tests in healthy volunteers to be similarly effective.

The tests began last week in partnership¹⁰ with Belgian pharmaceutical¹¹ company UCB.

Along with other llamas and members of the camel family, Winter produces antibodies that are smaller, easier to reproduce and have more uses than those of other mammals, said VIB-UGent group leader Xavier Saelens.

"Their small size... allows them to reach targets, reach parts of the virus that are difficult to access with conventional antibodies," he said.

Conventional means common, ordinary or usual.

The current research follows studies from 2016 into llama antibodies to help deal with the SARS and MERS coronaviruses. France's Sanofi paid $4.6 billion for Ablynx, a Ghent-based medical company that does llama antibody research, in 2018.

Winter, whose antibodies can now be reproduced in the lab, is enjoying retirement¹² in a private art and animal park in Genk.

Words in This Story

variant – n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

immune system- n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections

spike – n. An area that protrudes¹³ from the envelope of some viruses

mutation⁶ – n. biology : a change in the genes¹⁴ of a plant or animal that causes physical characteristics that are different from what is normal

frequency – n. the number of times that something happens during a particular period

pharmaceutical – adj. of or relating to the production and sale of drugs and medicine

mammal – n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

access – v. to be able to use, enter, or get near (something)

1 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

2 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

3 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

4 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

5 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

6 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

7 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

8 neutralization   

n.中立化，中立状态，中和

参考例句：

• Neutralization is the interaction of a base and an acid. 中和作用是碱和酸的相互作用。 来自辞典例句
• The neutralization equivalent of the polymer is 750(theoretical-681). 聚和物的中和当量为750（理论上为681）。 来自辞典例句

9 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

12 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

13 protrudes   

v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My part that protrudes from the gum has a'skin" of enamel. 在我突出于齿龈的部分有一层珐琅“皮”。 来自辞典例句
• Hyperplasia median lobe of the prostate produces a polypoid mass that protrudes in the bladder lumen. 前列腺中叶异常增生，表现为息肉样肿物，突入膀胱腔内。 来自互联网

14 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪