The world is racing to explore methods to treat the novel coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across countries.
In a breakthrough development, a team led by an Indian origin scientist has successfully grown the first batch of the virus outside China in the lab of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia (CISRO), the Times of India reported.
The 2019-nCoV that originated from Wuhan, has already affected more than 31,400 people, with over 600 deaths from China and one from Philipines.
Researchers at Australia’s Doherty Institute had already isolated the virus from a human sample. The current development is important because by making available sufficient stocks, it allows preclinical studies needed to be conducted at a mega scale.
In conversation with TOI, Professor SS Vasan, who leads the CISRO Dangerous Pathogens Team said, “We thank our Doherty colleagues who shared their isolate with us promptly. It is quicker to work with the real virus to expedite preclinical studies on the relative efficacy of vaccine candidates under development.”
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