Good news: Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection


People who have had mild illness develop antibody–producing cells that can last lifetime Authors: by Tamara Bhandari•May 24, 2021 Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine […]

COVID-19 Science Update released: June 4, 2021 Edition 92


Authors: From the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, CDC COVID-19 Response, and the CDC Library, Atlanta GA. Intended for use by public health professionals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. PEER-REVIEWED Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents.external icon Frenck et al. NEJM (May 27, 2021). Key findings: Vaccine efficacy was 100% (95% CI 75.3%-100%) […]

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans


Authors: Jackson S. Turner, Wooseob Kim, Elizaveta Kalaidina, Charles W. Goss, Adriana M. Rauseo, Aaron J. Schmitz, Lena Hansen, Alem Haile, Michael K. Klebert, Iskra Pusic, Jane A. O’Halloran, Rachel M. Presti & Ali H. Ellebedy  Abstract Long-lived bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) are a persistent and essential source of protective antibodies1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have a substantially lower risk of reinfection with SARS-CoV-28,9,10. Nonetheless, […]

A long-term perspective on immunity to COVID


Determining the duration of protective immunity to infection by SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding and predicting the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical studies now indicate that immunity will be long-lasting. Authors: Andreas Radbruch & Hyun-Dong Chang Generating immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is of the utmost importance for bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, protecting vulnerable […]

Here’s Why Viral Vector Vaccines Don’t Alter DNA


— It’s pretty simple — they can’t Authors: by Veronica Hackethal, MD, MSc, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Today March 12, 2021 Adenoviral vector vaccines have been in development for decades, but very few have been approved for use in humans. What does the history of adenoviral vector vaccine development tell us about their safety and their […]

COVID-19 survivors may possess wide-ranging resistance to the disease


Authors: Rajee Suri rajee.suri@emory.edu Recovered COVID-19 patients retain broad and effective longer-term immunity to the disease, suggests a recent Emory University study, which is the most comprehensive of its kind so far. The findings have implications for expanding understanding about human immune memory as well as future vaccine development for coronaviruses. The longitudinal study, published […]

Adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19


Authors: Alessandro Sette1,2 and Shane Crotty1,2,∗ Abstract The adaptive immune system is important for control of most viral infections. The three fundamental components of the adaptive immune system are B cells (the source of antibodies), CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. The armamentarium of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells has differing roles in different viral infections and in vaccines, and […]

Adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19


Authors: Alessandro Sette 1, Shane Crotty 2 Abstract The adaptive immune system is important for control of most viral infections. The three fundamental components of the adaptive immune system are B cells (the source of antibodies), CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. The armamentarium of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells has differing roles in different viral infections […]

Not just antibodies: B cells and T cells mediate immunity to COVID-19


Authors: Rebecca J. Cox & Karl A. Brokstad Nature Reviews Immunology volume 20, pages581–582 (2020) Recent reports that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are not maintained in the serum following recovery from the virus have caused alarm. However, the absence of specific antibodies in the serum does not necessarily mean an absence of immune memory. Here, we discuss our current understanding of the […]

COVID-19 progression linked to B cell activation


Authors: By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD The disease course of COVID-19 is diverse, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal respiratory failure. Emory University scientists have been working to uncover the immunological reasons behind this heterogeneity. A recent study on B cells, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in April 2020, shows that extrafollicular B cells could be a marker […]