An important discovery
Researchers at COVIDsortium, which received funding from Barts Charity, have found that some people naturally resist Covid infection. The important discovery was published in the journal Nature. It is hoped that the findings could lead to better vaccines that protect against any future variants of Covid.
Covid virus cells
An increase in T cells
The study analysed the immune responses of London-based healthcare workers. Their monitoring began at the beginning of the first wave of the pandemic.
Researchers focused on a group of healthcare workers who repeatedly tested negative by PCR and antibody tests. They found that in these individuals there was an increase in T cells. T cells are white blood cells that play a part in immune response by attacking infected cells.
The immune system of this group of healthcare workers appeared to be able to get on top of the virus before it managed to take hold. This is known as an “abortive infection”. With this information, scientists are looking to design vaccines that activate T cells. They believe this could help eliminate Covid in individuals from the very outset.
"A vaccine that can induce T cells to recognise and target infected cells… may have the added benefit that they also recognise other coronaviruses that currently infect humans or that could in the future.”Senior author Professor Mala Maini UCL Infection & Immunity
Protecting against future viruses
Senior author Professor Mala Maini (UCL Infection & Immunity) said: “Our research shows that individuals who naturally resisted detectable SARS-CoV-2 infection generated memory T cells that target infected cells expressing the replication proteins, part of the virus’s internal machinery.
“These proteins – required for the earliest stage of the virus’s life cycle – are common to all coronaviruses and remain ‘highly conserved’, so are unlikely to change or mutate.
“A vaccine that can induce T cells to recognise and target infected cells expressing these proteins, essential to the virus’s success, would be more effective at eliminating early SARS-CoV-2, and may have the added benefit that they also recognise other coronaviruses that currently infect humans or that could in the future.”
Making the project possible
COVIDsortium is led by researchers at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and UCL hospitals.
The project was made possible by generous donations from individuals, charitable trusts, and corporations. This includes Kenneth C. Griffin and The Guy Foundation Family Trust.
We are proud to have enabled this work and are grateful to our donors for their support.