The entire nation is fighting against the novel coronavirus, from the doctors in the frontline to the people who are adhering to the lockdown and preventing it from spreading further.??
Since the disease first broke out, we¡¯ve been struggling to get our hands at test kits to enable speedy testing of people who could be infected from the novel coronavirus. While we eventually did get enough test kits, we are somehow still reliant on test kits coming from other nations. However, this might end soon.
Reported first by India Science Wire, The Union Minister of Sciences and Technology, Health and Family Welfare and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan recently conducted a video conference with India¡¯s DPT (Department of Biotechnology) and their autonomous institutes understanding the progress they¡¯ve made in order to take down COVID-19.
DBT Secretary, Dr Renu Swarup revealed that DBT is leaving no stones unturned in research strategy as well as an action plan for tacking the novel coronavirus problem. They¡¯re working on candidate vaccines, therapeutics and suitable animal models for COVID-19 as well as the development of indigenous diagnostics and genomic studies on the host and pathogen.
DBT revealed that they¡¯re working on multiple levels in taking down COVID-19. One team is working on various computational methods to predict potential antiviral drug molecules.?
Another research team is working on developing surrogates of the virus, representing one or more critical steps in virus lifecycle as well as inhibitors.?
Researchers are also working on isolating neutralising antibodies either from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 or from human antibody libraries.??
Moreover, various DBT¡¯s autonomous institutes are working on developing candidate vaccines which are at various stages of pre-clinical studies (aiming to demonstrate proof of concept and immunogenicity) 9 of these studies are in early stages.?
On the other hand, one study with delivery and adjuvant (components added to vaccine formulations that enhance the immunogenicity of antigens) system for improving the immunogenicity of candidate vaccine has reached the advanced stage of development.?
Dr Harsh Vardhan said in a statement, ¡°These genetic sequencing efforts remind me of Polio eradication movement 26 years back. Towards the far end of the Polio movement, active surveillance of the country was done to find out the cases of acute flaccid paralysis. That time also, genetic sequencing was used to establish the travel history of poliovirus which eventually helped in the eradication of polio.¡±
He added, The sincere efforts of DBT scientists will enable the country to be self-reliant in the production of RT-PCR and Antibody test kits by the end of next month. This will make it possible to meet the target of conducting one lakh tests per day by the end of next month.¡±