Antibodies vs T-cells16 Jul 2020 04:01
I noticed Prof. Ball commenting in this DT explanatory - full copy below : ""What I would say is that if a vaccine elicits both responses it is potentially going to be better than one that just elicits one arm of the immune system," said Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham. "
Here's the complete version : "Scientists increasingly believe that any successful vaccine may need to trigger both an antibody and T-cell response – the two key aspects of our "adaptive" immune system. Antibodies, produced by B cells, recognise a virus circulating in our body and neutralise it, preventing it from entering our cells. T-cells are slightly different. They help to make antibodies but also directly attack human cells that have already become infected with a virus. These cells are vital in fighting a number of illnesses, including measles and the common cold. When we have fought off an infection once, we retain a number of "memory" cells that are primed and ready to attack if we are infected with the virus again – and it is this process that a vaccine is attempting to replicate.
"What I would say is that if a vaccine elicits both responses it is potentially going to be better than one that just elicits one arm of the immune system," said Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham. "The best vaccines tend to be those that mimic a viral infection, and this 'natural' infection would trigger both antibodies and T-cells." Research published in the last few weeks appears to underline the importance of triggering a broad immune response. A team at King's College London has found that antibodies do not remain in our blood for long. Of 96 people tracked, 60 per cent had a "potent" Covid-19 antibody response at the height of their infection. This fell to just 17 per cent three months later – in some, antibodies were almost undetectable.
Separately, studies have detected T-cell reactivity against Sars-CoV-2 in those who have never been exposed to the virus. But Professor Beate Kampmann, director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, warned that this does not mean vaccines which fail to produce T-cells will not be effective. Fading antibodies do not necessarily equate to fading immunity – it is entirely possible that antibodies in our blood may fall below detectable levels while still providing an effective defence against reinfection. Likewise, just because a candidate elicits a T-cell response, this "does not guarantee that it will be safe and effective".
"A safe and effective vaccine is not just around the corner, and there are many unknowns – much bigger datasets and trials are needed," warned Prof Kampmann."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/15/coronavirus-vaccine-breakthrough-oxford-scientists-discover/
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