✕

Get authentic, real-time news that helps you fight COVID-19 better.
Install for doctors. It's free.
Install for doctors. It's free.
Patients suffering from severe respiratory symptoms due to the novel coronavirus infection can rapidly generate an immune response in the form of virus-attacking T cells, suggests a new study by researchers from the University of California in the US,
The study, published in the journal Science Immunology, assessed T cells from 10 Covid-19 patients under intensive care treatment.
Extracted blood cells from patients soon after they were admitted to the ICU for Covid-19. Exposed these cells to “megapools” of known SARS-CoV-2 protein components in a technique meant to capture a large fraction of total viral-reactive T cells.
Findings:
• SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ helper T cells were active in all 10 patients, and CD8+ “killer” T cells were present in 8 out of 10 patients.
• They also characterized the cells’ production of specific inflammation-triggering cell-cell signaling molecules called cytokines.
• Strongest responses were directed to the virus’ spike (S) surface protein, supporting prior work that has pointed to this protein as a promising target to induce virus-specific T cells.
• Two out of 10 healthy individuals without prior exposure to the virus also harbored SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells.
• T cells may be cross-reacting to SARS-CoV-2, due to past infection with related coronaviruses.
They believe a future study of how preexisting SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in healthy controls correlate to protection against Covid-19 can help shed more light on the disease and “and also inform vaccine design and evaluation.”
Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200627/COVID-19-patients-can-rapidly-generate-virus-attacking-T-cells-shows-study.aspx
The study, published in the journal Science Immunology, assessed T cells from 10 Covid-19 patients under intensive care treatment.
Extracted blood cells from patients soon after they were admitted to the ICU for Covid-19. Exposed these cells to “megapools” of known SARS-CoV-2 protein components in a technique meant to capture a large fraction of total viral-reactive T cells.
Findings:
• SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ helper T cells were active in all 10 patients, and CD8+ “killer” T cells were present in 8 out of 10 patients.
• They also characterized the cells’ production of specific inflammation-triggering cell-cell signaling molecules called cytokines.
• Strongest responses were directed to the virus’ spike (S) surface protein, supporting prior work that has pointed to this protein as a promising target to induce virus-specific T cells.
• Two out of 10 healthy individuals without prior exposure to the virus also harbored SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells.
• T cells may be cross-reacting to SARS-CoV-2, due to past infection with related coronaviruses.
They believe a future study of how preexisting SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in healthy controls correlate to protection against Covid-19 can help shed more light on the disease and “and also inform vaccine design and evaluation.”
Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200627/COVID-19-patients-can-rapidly-generate-virus-attacking-T-cells-shows-study.aspx
k●●●l p●●●t and 3 others like this2 shares
Like
Comment
Share