Researchers find clues to successful immune response in the T cells of COVID-19 patients (21st Aug 2020)
...T cells come in two main flavors: CD4+ T cells, whose main role is to stimulate the overall immune system's response to an invader, and CD8+ T cells, many of which kill infected cells. ..
First, the patients' CD4+ T cells specific to SARS-CoV-2 belong to a category called "Th1" known to effectively fight viruses, and not to categories associated with other types of inflammation that are less effective against viruses and can lead to immune-mediated pathology. This could help explain the patients' recovery, given that, in contrast, severe COVID-19 cases are characterized with uncontrolled inflammation and tissue damage.
Second, the CD4+ T cells in the samples are mostly "memory" and "helper" T cells, which stimulate the production of pathogen-specific antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2 specific helper T cells found in convalescent patients presumably helped them mount an effective and specific antibody defense against the virus.
Third, the patients' CD8+ T cells belonged to a subcategory known to protect against various other viruses. Roan and her group speculate that these cells are toxic to infected cells, long-lived, and able to proliferate quickly--properties that would allow them to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 infected cells efficiently, thus preventing the virus from building up after infection.
“Our findings suggest that while antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 may fade relatively quickly, long-term immunity to the virus may be generated in the form of memory responses, including that of memory T cells,” says Roan. “To confer lasting and effective immunity against COVID-19, vaccination strategies should strongly consider approaches that, in addition to generating neutralizing antibodies, elicit long-lived and multi-functional T cells against SARS-CoV-2.”
Which is pretty much right in BIT's "wheelhouse" and backs up previous posts from ie. BMD that Bit may be utilised in conjunction with another Vaccine (type) candidate!
Either way, very positive signs for BIT!
BIT Price at posting:
9.8¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
