Volume 1067, Issue 1 p. 500-505

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Development of Diagnostics and Antivirals

MORTEN DRÆBY SØRENSEN

MORTEN DRÆBY SØRENSEN

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
BRIAN SØRENSEN

BRIAN SØRENSEN

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
REGINA GONZALEZ-DOSAL

REGINA GONZALEZ-DOSAL

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
CONNIE JENNING MELCHJORSEN

CONNIE JENNING MELCHJORSEN

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
JENS WEIBEL

JENS WEIBEL

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
JING WANG

JING WANG

Beijing Genomics Institute, Beijing, China

Search for more papers by this author
CHEN WIE JUN

CHEN WIE JUN

Beijing Genomics Institute, Beijing, China

Search for more papers by this author
YANG HUANMING

YANG HUANMING

Beijing Genomics Institute, Beijing, China

Search for more papers by this author
PETER KRISTENSEN

PETER KRISTENSEN

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 10 May 2006
Citations: 34
Address for correspondence: Dr. Peter Kristensen, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, DK8000 Aarhus−C, Denmark. Voice: +45 8942 5032; fax: +45 8612 3178.
 e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Abstract: The previously unknown coronavirus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) affected more than 8,000 persons worldwide and was responsible for more than 700 deaths during the first outbreak in 2002–2003. For reasons unknown, the SARS virus is less severe and the clinical progression a great deal milder in children younger than 12 years of age. In contrast, the mortality rate can exceed 50% for persons at or above the age of 60. As part of the Sino-European Project on SARS Diagnostics and Antivirals (SEPSDA), an immune phage-display library is being created from convalescent patients in a phagemid system for the selection of single-chain fragment variables (scFv) antibodies recognizing the SARS-CoV.