Cell Reports: Early functional SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses in COVID-19 can prevent serious infections

February 3, 2021 // -- Antibodies and T-cells are part of the body's immune system and can directly fight viral infections and remove infected cells.
recently, a new study published by scientists at Duke-Singapore National University School of Medicine provides evidence that the early onset of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells in COVID-19 may prevent serious illness.
results were published in the journal Cell Reports on 21 January 2021 under the title Early induction of functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells with rapids with rapids and mild disease in COVID-19 patients.
this study is of great significance to the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.
photo source: DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108728 Body fluid immunity and cell adaptive immunity are two immune mechanisms against pathogens.
immunity is mediated by antibodies, and cellular immunity does not involve antibodies, but is promoted by T cells.
study of how these immune mechanisms mediat SARS-CoV-2 infections may help control the progression of the disease.
, however, their role in virus control or disease pathogenesis is not entirely clear, especially in the acute stages of infection.
only a few studies have conducted comprehensive longitudinal monitoring of COVID-19 patients.
To fill this knowledge gap, the Duke University-Singapore National University team investigated changes in virological and immunological parameters from morbidity to recovery or death in 12 patients with symptomatic acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
"We found that controlling SARS-Cov-2 infection in patients with only mild symptoms was characterized by early induction of IFN-γ secretion of SARS-Cov-2 specific T cells.
The amount of body fluid immune response does not predict the severity of COVID-19 disease," said Dr. Anthony Tanoto Tan, a senior fellow in the New Infectious Diseases (EID) Program at Duke-Singapore National University and co-author of the study.
"Our data support the view that SARS-Cov-2-specific T cells play an important role in rapidly controlling viral infections and eventually eliminating disease," added Dr. Martin Linster, a senior fellow in the EID program at Duke-Singapore National University and co-author of the study.
work is a continuation of the team's previous paper published in the journal Nature, in which they analyzed SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses during the recovery period in PATIENT-19 patients.
study, they expanded their analysis to the full timeline of SARS-CoV-2 infections from onset to outcome.
"It's time to consider T-cell monitoring to provide a comprehensive understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 immune response."
It also means that if vaccines can induce antibodies and T-cells as a whole, they may be more effective," said Antonio Bertoletti, a professor at duke-Singapore National University's EID program and co-author of the study.
" study further deepens our understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 immune response.
has far-reaching implications for COVID-19 vaccine design and follow-up vaccine response monitoring.
," says Professor Patrick Casey of Duke-Singapore National University.
team is currently studying more COVID-19 patients with different symptom severity to further validate their findings.
original source: Anthony T. Tan et al. Early induction of functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associates with rapid viral clearance and mild disease in COVID-19 patients, Cell Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108728