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Before COVID-19 affected the world, we had no less to do with viruses that caused common colds. Some of these viruses are also coronaviruses. Studies over the past two years have found that the challenge that colds challenge the human immune system can make it easier for us to produce immune T cells that can more easily recognize the virus.
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A study published in Nature Communications by Imperial College London provides strong evidence for the protective effects of these T cells. The research institute's news points out that the study is the first to examine how T cells previously induced by other coronaviruses affect the likelihood of infection in the case of exposure to the new coronavirus.
The researchers also say the results also provide a blueprint for the next generation of universal vaccines that are expected to be used to prevent currently prevalent and possible future variants such as the Omikejong variant.
Dr. Rhia Kundu, lead author of the research paper, said: "People exposed to the new crown virus are not all infected, and we have been trying to figure out why. ”
To that end, the research team began working in September 2020, when many people in the UK were not infected with COVID-19 or vaccinated. They analyzed the close contacts of 52 people infected with COVID-19. As a result of living with infected people who have been confirmed positive, these people have been exposed to the new crown virus. In the days that followed, through nucleic acid testing, half of them showed that they were also infected, and the other half remained uninfected.
The researchers took blood samples from the participants within 1 to 6 days of exposure to the virus, first analyzing how many pre-stored T cells were induced in each person's body due to the common cold, and these T cells have been shown to have cross-reactivity to the new crown virus, that is, proteins that can recognize the new crown virus. Comparing the two groups of participants, it was found that the group that was not infected had significantly higher levels of cross-reactive T cells.
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It is important to note that these T cells target proteins inside the coronavirus, not the superficial spike proteins that many COVID-19 vaccines target. Therefore, the researchers believe that these internal proteins provide new vaccine targets that can provide long-lasting protection. Because the T cell response lasts longer than the antibody response, unlike the antibody response that decays within a few months of vaccination.
In addition, as we can now see in the Omilon variant, multiple mutations in the spike protein of the new coronavirus may lead to immune escape, in contrast to the internal proteins targeted by these T cells tend to be highly conserved in various variants, with far fewer mutations. So new vaccines targeting these proteins are expected to induce a T cell response that provides broad protection.
Professor Ajit Lalvani, co-corresponding author of the study and an expert studying respiratory infections, concluded: "Our study provides the clearest evidence to date that cold-coronavirus-induced T cells act as a protector against COVID-19 infection. ”
But Dr. Kundu also cautioned that while the findings are important, it only provides a form of protection, and does not mean that other protections can be ignored if you have a cold. "The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is still to be fully vaccinated, including with booster shots." He stressed.
Resources:
[1] Rhia Kundu et al., (2022) Cross-reactive memory T cells associate with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in COVID-19 contacts. Nature Communications. Doi:
[2] T cells from common colds cross-protect against infection with SARS-CoV-2. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2022, from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/233018/cells-from-common-colds-cross-protect-against/
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