Author: Akhmetova Aigerim
Editor: Merentsova Anastasia
While much attention is paid to antibody-based immunity, there is growing evidence that T cells play an important role in resolving COVID-19. Immune memory can still be achieved with virus-specific memory T cells.
Memory T-cells are a population of T-lymphocytes that store information about previously acting antigens and form a secondary immune response, which is carried out in a shorter time than the primary immune response, since it bypasses the main stages of this process.
A study was conducted, during which it was found that the severe course of COVID-19 "dulls" the regeneration of long-lived antibodies, in asymptomatic forms of this infection, T-lymphocytes were found (necessary for the formation of long-term immunity). Therefore, further developments in this direction are underway.
There is ample evidence of a variety of immune systemic pathways that provide some level of protection against infection in situations where a particular branch of the immune system is at risk. Finding powerful memory for T cells is currently a priority in the development of a vaccine against COVID-19.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32976799/
