New coronavirus, virologist urges caution during experiments
Experiments on the new coronavirus HKU5-CoV-2, discovered in China and described in the journal Cell, should be carried out with greater caution, says virologist Francesco Broccolo from the University of Salento, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
He highlights concerns in the scientific community about the research methods used, particularly the manipulation of the virus in the laboratory. The experiments are being carried out in a BSL-2 biosafety laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same institute where 'gain-of-function' experiments aimed at producing genetic modifications of the virus have been carried out.
The results of the virology group, led by Jing Chen, show that the new virus binds to human cells through the Ace2 receptor, the same one used by SARS-CoV-2. This characteristic is worrying for the risk of the virus spreading, increasing the possibility of the development of variants that may be more suitable for the human body. This ability has also been confirmed by experiments using cell aggregates from the human respiratory system, writes the Italian news agency ANSA.
Broccolo has expressed doubts about the methodology of manipulating the virus "in vitro", noting that artificially accelerating naturally occurring processes could have dangerous consequences. This could help create variants that evolve more quickly and become more suited to the human host, increasing the risk of the virus spreading.
He calls for a more in-depth debate on the risks and benefits of these experiments, taking into account the potential consequences for public health. Broccolo points out that the genetic diversity of coronaviruses in nature and their ability to evolve rapidly during interspecific transmission poses a major threat to the safety of such experiments.
