T-cell immunity
The study, conducted by scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), Yong Lu Lin Medical School, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), was published in the journal Nature. The data obtained in it indicate that infection with coronaviruses and contact with them induce the production of long-lived memory T cells that will help in managing the current pandemic and in the development of vaccines against COVID-19.
T-lymphocytes, along with antibodies, are an integral part of the human immune response against viral infections due to their ability to directly infect and kill infected cells.
The group examined subjects who had undergone COVID-19, and found SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in all of them. In addition, virus-specific memory T cells providing cross-immunity to SARS-CoV-2 were still present in the blood of patients who recovered from SARS 17 years ago, after the 2003 outbreak.
The study involved uninfected healthy people, half of whom had T-lymphocytes specific to SARS-CoV-2. This may be due to cross-reactive immunity resulting from exposure to other coronaviruses, for example, causing colds or currently unknown animal coronaviruses.
New studies involving patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have now been launched to determine whether their immunity persists for a long period of time. This is very important for the development of vaccines and the answer to the question of reinfection.
The team will also conduct a more extensive study involving unprotected and uninfected subjects to find out whether T cells can protect against COVID-19 infection or change the course of the disease. They will also explore the potential therapeutic use of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells.
Article N.Le Bert et al. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in cases of COVID-19 and SARS, and uninfected controls is published in the journal Nature.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Duke-NUS Medical School: Singapore scientists discover SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 & SARS patients, and in uninfected individuals.