Scientists have identified antibodies that neutralise Omicron and other variants of coronavirus by targeting areas that remain essentially unchanged as the virus mutates. The research, published in the journal Nature, may help design vaccines and antibody treatments that will be effective against not only Omicron but other variants that may emerge in the future. "This finding tells us that by focusing on antibodies that target these highly conserved sites on the spike protein, there is a way to overcome the virus` continual evolution," said David Veesler, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US.

The Omicron variant has an unusually high number of 37 mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect the human cells. It is thought that these changes explain in part why the variant has been able to spread so rapidly, to infect people who have been vaccinated and to reinfect those who have previously been infected. "The main questions we were trying to answer were: how has this constellation of mutations in the spike protein of the Omicron variant affected its ability to bind to cells and to evade the immune system`s antibody responses," Veesler said.