T lymphocytes (T cells) in some people’s bodies may have the ability to recognize COVID-19, even though it is a new virus, according to researchers in Singapore.
Their findings suggest that exposure to types of coronaviruses in the past may produce “memory T cells” in the blood of certain people, possibly helping them to fight the new coronavirus. The researchers from the small study published in Nature are also hopeful that these T cells can help develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
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“It is important to send the message that T cells and not just antibodies are an essential component of antiviral immunity,” he said. Antonio Bertoletti, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School, and co-author, told Fox News in a statement.
“Other coronaviruses have always been circulating in humans. It is possible that an immunity to closely related viruses may reduce susceptibility or alter the severity of the disease, “Bertoletti added.
T cells are part of your immune system that responds to a foreign invader, such as a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are different from antibodies.
After the body has fought an infection, “the immune system remembers what it learned about how the body can protect against that disease,” the CDC states on its website. The body will retain a few specific T cells – referred to as “memory cells” – that will act as an alarm and help the immune system identify and produce antibodies to attack the foreign germs when it enters the body again, according to the federal health agency.
In the Singapore study, the scientists found the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in all patients they tested taking COVID-19.
The new coronavirus.
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“[One hundred] percent of COVID-19 patients develop virus-specific T-cell immunity, “Bertoletti said in a statement.
The researchers also found that patients who became infected with SARS during the outbreak back in 2003 still had virus-specific T cells until that virus – 17 years later. They also found that these patients showed cross-immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind this coronavirus pandemic.
“[One hundred] percent of the subjects infected with SARS-Cov-1 in 2003 had pre-existing cross-reactive T cells against SARS-CoV2, “Bertoletti told Fox News in a statement.
Bertoletti also stated that her group found “more than 50% of uninfected healthy individuals prove the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells.”
The researchers said this may be due to cross-reactive immunity caused by exposure to other types of coronaviruses, such as those that cause the fever, or other currently unknown animal coronaviruses.
“It’s important to understand if this can explain why some individuals can better control the infection,” Bertoletti said.
The authors stated in a news release that the findings of the long-lasting T cells and the findings of cross-immunity suggest the role of T cells – not just antibodies – are an essential part of the immunity against COVID-19.
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What remains unclear, however, is whether pre-existing T cells are sufficient for protection rather than altering the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the authors discussed in a release.
The team of researchers announced in the release that it will conduct a larger study of exposed, non-infected subjects to investigate whether T cells can protect against COVID-19 infection or change the course of infection. They also said they would investigate the potential therapeutic use of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells.
