Tag Archives: coronavirus

Coronavirus Poses Greater Heart Disease Risk for Children Than Vaccination

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Vaccination against covid-19 is safer than infection

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Recent findings highlight that vaccinating children is more beneficial than exposing them to the coronavirus. A comprehensive study involving nearly 14 million children revealed that the likelihood of experiencing serious, albeit uncommon, side effects related to the heart and blood vessels was considerably greater following an infection compared to a vaccination.

Specifically, children aged 5 to 18 experienced 17 additional infections per 100,000 with inflammatory conditions such as Kawasaki disease in the six months after contracting SARS-CoV-2, as opposed to other periods. Conversely, among children first vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, infections per 100,000 dropped by almost two.

Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, resulted in over two extra cases per 100,000 individuals in the six months post-infection. In comparison, there was less than one additional case among vaccinated individuals, indicating that the risk of myocarditis is more than double following infection relative to vaccination.

A report highlighting a new coronavirus infection causing myocarditis has been made known. As early as April 2020, reports began surfacing even after vaccinations commenced in December. Vaccines associated with myocarditis tend to present milder symptoms, particularly in young men, and most individuals recover swiftly.

The uncommon side effects of this vaccine have garnered substantial media focus and stirred significant concern, contributing to delays in introducing routine childhood vaccinations in the UK until April 2022.

The latest findings reinforce earlier research indicating that vaccinated children face a lower risk of myocarditis compared to their unvaccinated peers, despite the rarity of this side effect. A majority of children contracted the virus, placing them at an elevated risk of adverse effects.

“It’s important to note that severe complications are highly uncommon among children and adolescents in general,” states Angela Wood from Cambridge, UK, a part of the HDR UK regional network. “Nevertheless, evidence suggests that the risk is generally higher following COVID-19 compared to vaccination.”

Wood’s team evaluated data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) encompassing approximately 14 million children under 18 from January 2020 to December 2021. During the latter half of this timeframe, 3.9 million children received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, while 3.4 million were diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time. Subsequent periods could not be analyzed due to insufficient testing.

This approach does have its limitations. For instance, the data does not indicate whether children who experienced these complications made a full recovery, and many mild COVID-19 cases amongst children may not have been formally recognized. “However, despite these constraints, the scale of the data and the comprehensive connection across all NHS data instills great confidence in our overall conclusions today,” says Wood.

“It’s crucial to understand that findings relevant to the strain of the coronavirus prevalent during the peak of the pandemic may differ for the current strain,” advises William Whiteley from the University of Edinburgh, UK, who was not involved in the study. His team previously reported that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes for at least six months post-vaccination.

The fact that nearly all individuals, apart from very young children, now possess some level of immunity to COVID-19 means they may respond differently to both booster shots and reinfections, according to team members including Peer Hardelid from University College London. “Ongoing research is essential,” she emphasizes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Revelation of Why Some Individuals Have Greater Resistance to the Novel Coronavirus

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Volunteers were exposed to coronavirus as part of a scientific study

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By intentionally exposing people to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, scientists have been able to understand why some people appear to be immune to infection.

As part of the first human COVID-19 challenge study conducted in 2021, an international group of researchers looked at 36 healthy people who had not tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had not been vaccinated.

The ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain was sprayed into their noses. Nasal and blood samples were taken from 16 of the participants before exposure and then six to seven times over the next 28 days. All were also tested for SARS-CoV-2 twice daily.

Participants were split into three groups, team members said. Sarah Teichmann The study was conducted at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. In one group, six participants tested positive in both daily tests for more than two days and also had symptoms. In another group, three participants tested positive in one of two daily tests but not in the other and did not have symptoms, but for less than two days. In the final group, seven participants consistently tested negative for coronavirus.

In total, the researchers sequenced more than 600,000 blood and nasal cells across all subjects.

In the second and third groups, the researchers found that participants were producing more interferon (a substance that helps the immune system fight infection) in their blood in front of the nasopharynx (the top of the nose at the back of the throat where the nasal samples were taken). The interferon response was actually higher in the noses of participants in the second group than in the third group, Teichmann says.

These groups also did not have active infections within the immune cells T cells and macrophages, team members say. Marko Nikolic At University College London.

The results showed that high levels of gene activity HLA-DQA2 Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 helped prevent persistent infection.

Nikolic hopes that this discovery will improve understanding of the cellular responses involved in preventing COVID-19 and aid in the development of vaccines and treatments.

“With its carefully controlled design and real understanding of 'time zero' when infection occurs, this study will serve as a unique resource of previously uninfected SARS-CoV-2 participants to measure subsequent immune responses,” the study said. Jose Ordovas Montanez Harvard Stem Cell Institute

But most people have been exposed to “a true mosaic of SARS-CoV-2 variants,” not just the ancestral variant used in the study, so the results may not reflect cellular responses outside the testing environment, he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New study suggests Coronavirus may have originated in a lab rather than an animal

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There have been various conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19, from microchips in vaccines to the virus being engineered in a lab. A recent study is challenging these theories by suggesting that the virus is more likely of natural origin.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia argue that the current debate lacks consideration of non-medical evidence in determining the origin of the virus. They emphasize that their findings do not definitively prove the lab origin theory but rather suggest that such theories should not be dismissed too quickly.

Some scientists criticize the study’s methods for potential biases, and there is still no consensus in the academic community regarding the virus’s origin. The study highlights the need for further research and caution in drawing conclusions.

This study presents evidence supporting the hypothesis of a potential laboratory origin of COVID-19, including unique biological features not found in similar viruses and the proximity of a research facility studying bat coronaviruses to the initial outbreak site in Wuhan.

The study utilized a risk analysis tool to evaluate various criteria related to the virus’s natural or unnatural origin. The tool assigned scores based on evidence such as geographical distribution, virus strains, and transmission modes. The results indicated a higher likelihood of an unnatural origin due to specific biological risks and unconventional strains.

The researchers’ findings have sparked debates within the scientific community, with some experts questioning the tool’s subjectivity and potential for biased interpretations. While the study doesn’t conclusively prove the virus’s origin, it suggests that further investigation is necessary to understand the pandemic’s roots.

Experts like Dr. Jeremy Rothman, Professor Paul Hunter, and Professor Raina McIntyre have cautioned against jumping to conclusions about COVID-19’s origins and emphasize the need for thorough research to uncover the truth.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Many in the UK contracting severe coronavirus infections in summer due to lack of vaccination

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A coronavirus vaccine is being administered at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey, England.

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Around 7,000 people in the UK would have avoided dying or being hospitalized from coronavirus in the summer of 2022 if they had been fully vaccinated against the virus, a major study has found. This is the first time that the health impact of hesitancy to get a COVID-19 vaccine has been calculated on a national basis.

Since the emergence of the Omicron variant, covid-19 vaccines are less effective at preventing people from getting infected, but they still reduce the risk of dying or needing hospitalization from the virus.

katherine sudlow Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK used national health service data to determine how much vaccination would reduce hospitalizations and deaths in the summer of 2022, when most COVID-19 restrictions had ended. We investigated whether it had an impact on

Sudlow's team included data from June 1 to September 30, 2022, spanning the wave of coronavirus infections that peaked in July. During this period, 40,000 people died or required hospitalization due to the virus, all of which were classified as serious health hazards.

The team then looked at people who have received the recommended number of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters (for example, four doses for people 75 and older by that point) and those who have received fewer than the recommended number of doses. They compared rates of severe outcomes among people who received the vaccine or booster immunization. Not at all.

People who have not been fully vaccinated are more likely to develop severe disease than people who are fully vaccinated, and the exact increased risk depends on age. For example, people over the age of 75 are about three times more likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19 if they have not been fully vaccinated.

The researchers calculated that if everyone in the UK had been fully vaccinated, there would have been around 7,000 fewer deaths and hospital admissions. “Fully immunizing people will reduce adverse outcomes for society as a whole,” Sudlow said.

One caveat is that this study was not a randomized trial, which is the best medical evidence, but simply observed a correlation between vaccination status and outcome, which could bias the results. The fact is that there is, he said. stephen evans At the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Nevertheless, he says the results of studies on the vaccine's effectiveness are broadly consistent with previous randomized trials. “Their approach is a reasonable one.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Assessing the Effectiveness of Lockdowns and Masks in Controlling Coronavirus: An Explanation from a Professor

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Over the past four years, we’ve learned tough lessons about the balancing act of public health. Recent coronavirus research has highlighted the need to carefully weigh the benefits and harms of any action taken to mitigate the impact of the disease.

We need clarity on what has worked and what hasn’t in the fight against the coronavirus. One objective of a study was to understand more about this. Here’s what was found out…

Was the spread of the new coronavirus in nursing homes inevitable?

Early in the pandemic, being a resident or staff member in a care home carried the highest risk of death from coronavirus. The virus spread to nursing homes as elderly patients were discharged to make room for new hospitalizations. It was nearly impossible to stop infectious diseases from spreading within nursing homes, even if all patients were tested before being transferred to hospital, as tests can be negative until the person becomes infectious.

Did the personal protective equipment really work?

The importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of infection in hospitals and nursing homes was widely accepted even before COVID-19. The lack of availability of PPE was one of the main factors influencing coronavirus transmission in nursing homes.

Early in the pandemic, the benefits and risks of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the community were uncertain. NPIs such as closing schools and banning public gatherings were effective at reducing the spread of the virus.

Did wearing a mask help protect against coronavirus?

Wearing masks did reduce community transmission of coronavirus, at least until the Omicron variant emerged. The value of masks in schools is still debated, with some studies showing that mandatory mask-wearing in schools reduced infections at least for the first few weeks.

Has quarantine helped?

Testing and self-isolation should reduce coronavirus transmission, but studies have shown that for this to work, a significant proportion of infected people would need to self-isolate. Self-isolation rates may not have made a significant difference, as many infected people are never identified.

How effective was the lockdown?

Lockdowns have been associated with mental and musculoskeletal health problems. The overall impact of NPIs in relation to their harms is a broader societal debate beyond just a scientific question.

How effective has the vaccine rollout been?

Rapid development of effective vaccines has been a real success during the pandemic, preventing many more deaths. However, the vaccines did not create herd immunity and eradicated the virus. They also had side effects, such as blood clotting and heart inflammation. Advancements in vaccine science during the pandemic may benefit other infectious diseases for decades to come.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

UV Light Found to Inactivate Coronavirus Particles, New Study Shows

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a profound impact on humanity. Prevention of infection by disinfecting surfaces and aerosols using non-chemical methods is highly desirable. Ultraviolet C (UVC) light is uniquely positioned to achieve pathogen inactivation.in new paper in a diary ACS PhotonicsScientists have reported the inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by UVC radiation and are investigating the mechanism.

David other. demonstrated inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by 266 nm UVC light. This closely matches the absorption spectra of RNA and aromatic amino acids.Image credit: David other., doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00828.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 spreads through nosocomial, public, and workplace-based infections.

Transmission is thought to be direct through respiratory droplets or indirect through fomites, leading to increased interest in virus disinfection.

The SARS-CoV-2 virion consists of a core of nucleic acid strands containing the virus's genetic information, surrounded by a lipid membrane with protruding protein spikes. Each component is required for infection.

In the new study, Sumeet Mahajan and colleagues at the University of Southampton investigated how ultraviolet laser light affects each of these key components and destroys the virus.

By using special lasers with two different wavelengths, they were able to see how each viral component breaks down under bright light.

They found that the genomic material was highly sensitive to degradation, and the protein spike lost the ability to bind to human cells.

UV light includes UVA light, UVB light, and UVC light. Very little UVC light with frequencies below 280 nm reaches the Earth's surface from the sun.

The authors used UVC light in their study, which is less studied because of its antiseptic properties.

UVC light is strongly absorbed by various viral components, such as genetic material (about 260 nm) and protein spikes (about 230 nm), allowing the team to choose laser frequencies of 266 nm and 227 nm for this project.

Researchers found that low-power 266nm light causes RNA damage and affects the genetic information of viruses.

266 nm light also damaged the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, reducing its ability to bind to human cells by breaking disulfide bonds and aromatic amino acids.

Although 227 nm light was less effective at inducing RNA damage, it was effective at damaging proteins through oxidation, a chemical reaction involving oxygen that unravels protein structures.

Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 has one of the largest genomes of any RNA virus. This makes them particularly sensitive to genomic damage.

“Inactivating airborne viruses with light provides a versatile tool for disinfecting public spaces and sensitive equipment that is difficult to decontaminate using traditional methods,” Professor Mahajan said.

“We found differences in the susceptibility of the molecular components of the virus to light inactivation. This opens up the possibility of fine-tuned disinfection techniques.”

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George David other. Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 inactivation using UVC laser irradiation. ACS Photonics, published online on December 25, 2023. doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00828

Source: www.sci.news

Effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines diminishes with passage of time, study finds

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A study by the UK Health and Safety Executive that analyzed more than 10 million coronavirus patients found that vaccination significantly reduced the risk of death, with the most significant benefit seen within six months of vaccination. Became. The results of this study support the success of vaccination programs and the need for booster vaccinations. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

According to a study by the UK Health and Safety Executive, COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of death, especially within 6 months after vaccination, highlighting the importance of booster vaccination.

The risk of dying from COVID-19 is significantly reduced after vaccination, but this protection wears off after six months, providing evidence to continue giving booster shots, a new study has found.

Researchers from the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) analyzed more than 10 million coronavirus infections in adults between May 2020 and February 2022. The result is Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM).

Vaccination and mortality reduction

Cross-referencing vaccination status with case fatality risk (CFR), the proportion of cases that result in death, revealed a clear association between vaccination and lower mortality rates. Of note, this study highlights a critical period (within 6 months of last vaccination) in which CFR was consistently lowest across all age groups. After this time, the protective effect started to decrease and the CFR increased.

Noteworthy findings in the elderly

The study highlights that the COVID-19 vaccination program has been successful in reducing mortality rates.

Among adults aged 50 years and older, CFR was 10 times higher among those who had not been vaccinated (6.3%) compared with those who had received the vaccine within 6 months of testing positive (0.6%). The study also found a sharp decline in CFR in early 2021, coinciding with the initial vaccine rollout.

Florence Halford, from UKHSA’s Covid-19 Vaccines and Epidemiology Unit, said: ‘The risk of dying from Covid-19 is reduced after vaccination, and those vaccinated up to six months before the sample collection date. This was the lowest of all age groups.” This provides some evidence for the continuation of booster doses in the elderly group. ”

Reference: “Temporal changes in the risk of adult mortality from COVID-19 after vaccination in the UK from May 2020 to February 2022: a national surveillance study” Florence Halford, Kathryn Yates, Tom Clare , by Jamie Lopez Bernal, Megan Karl, and Hester Allen, December 13, 2023, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
DOI: 10.1177/01410768231216332

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Breakthrough in New Coronavirus Treatment: Discovery of New Antiviral Drug

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The Coronavirus Moonshot Consortium report focuses on the discovery of a new class of inhibitors against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. This global collaboration has generated promising lead compounds, openly shared thousands of compound designs, and represents significant progress in coronavirus drug development.

The COVID Moonshot breakthrough study introduced new non-peptide inhibitors. SARS-CoV-2showcases global collaboration and open science in advancing coronavirus treatments. Although the group’s results have been freely available since its founding in March 2020, the Coronavirus Moonshot Consortium has finally officially reported its results.

Coronavirus Moonshot – An open science, crowdsourced, patent-free drug discovery campaign targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus – A wealth of data has been obtained about the virus’s major proteases, including insights that may pave the way for the development of new and better treatments. “The main treatments described by [these researchers] “Given drug approval timelines and challenges, we may not be ready in time to make an impact on the current pandemic,” write Brian Shoichet and Charles Craik in a related perspective. “Yet, the compounds and the techniques used to identify them may have implications for human health in the future.”

Global cooperation and drug discovery efforts This novel collaboration involved more than 200 volunteer scientists from 47 academic and industrial organizations across 25 countries. “The coronavirus moonshot provides an example of open science drug discovery that could lead to advances in infectious disease drug discovery. This research area is of great public importance but chronically underfunded from the private sector. “There is a shortage,” Melissa et al. write. SARS-CoVB-2 main protease (Mpro) is an attractive target for antiviral drug development due to its important role in viral replication. Current SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, such as those drawn from existing antiviral pipelines such as Paxlovid and Xocova, have shown clinical success. However, the use of these compounds remains relatively limited, and their peptidomimetics and covalent scaffolds pose problems for synthesis and administration.

Impact on innovative drug design and open science Hey, Bobby other. describe the discovery of a novel noncovalent and nonpeptidic inhibitor scaffold that is chemically distinct from current Mpro inhibitors. By leveraging a crowdsourcing approach combined with the expertise of hundreds of individuals around the world, Bobby other. We will explain the open science drug discovery campaign. machine learningutilize molecular simulations, and high-throughput structural biology and chemistry to assemble a detailed structural map of the major proteases of SARS-CoV-2 and their biochemical activities.

From over 18,000 compound designs generated by the COVID Moonshot Consortium, the authors identified several non-covalent, non-peptidomimetic compounds, including lead compounds with promising bioavailability, safety, and antiviral activity. identified sex inhibitors. All compound designs from the project are openly shared, building a rich, open, intellectual property-free knowledge base for future anti-coronavirus drug discovery.

Reference:
DOI: 10.1126/science.abo7201

Source: scitechdaily.com

T cells: the potential secret weapon against the latest coronavirus ‘variants of concern’ amid Pyrrha panic

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A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, Pirora (BA.2.86), has been detected worldwide and is causing concern due to its high mutation rate

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology are using immune epitope databases to predict T-cell responses to Pirora, suggesting that past exposure to existing vaccines and variants like Omicron remains important and may have a preventive effect. Although the results are promising, they are still predictive and require further experimental validation. (Credit: SciTechDaily.com)

Utilization of bioinformatics

LJI scientists are using bioinformatics to predict how T cells will adapt to fight the highly mutated Pirora mutant. In August, researchers discovered a new SARS-CoV-2 ‘Variants of concern’ in patients in Israel and Denmark. Since then, this variant has been called BA.2.86 or “Pirola” and has spread all over the world. Pirola’s mutant species is highly mutated, so caution is advised. In fact, Pirora has mutated similarly to the Omicron variant when compared to the earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants that were included in the first vaccinations. As Pyrolla spreads, researchers at La Jolla Immunology Institute (LJI) COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) Vaccines (or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection) can still protect people from severe disease.

“The concern is that virus With so many mutations, T-cell immunity will ‘escape’,” says LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. New research is currently being conducted Cell hosts and microorganisms This suggests that T cells can accurately detect mutations in pyrola and find their targets.

“Our analysis suggests there is positive news,” says LJI research assistant professor Dr. Alba Grifoni. “It appears that past exposure to Omicron, or vaccination with the new bivalent vaccine, may provide a person with T cells that can ‘catch up’ and generate a specific response to fight Pyrrha. ” LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Doctor of Biological Sciences
(Credit: La Jolla Institute of Immunology)

Next step

Grifoni emphasizes that these findings are predictive and not observations based on actual pylora infections. Still, she thinks it’s important to see how these “in silico” (in silico) predictions are reflected in recent real-world research. “Although we still need experimental validation, we have established several collaborations around the world and are talking about this issue as we study it,” says Grifoni. Sette added that even with the Pirora variant, many people are still vulnerable to SARS-COV-2 infection. “That’s why people should still get vaccinated, especially the latest vaccines.” The researchers are currently collecting experimental data to learn more about T cell responses to the mutant strains and further strengthen their predictive tools. Griffoni is particularly interested in understanding exactly how people who have received a bivalent vaccine booster or a “breakthrough” infection will mount a T-cell response against future variants.

Reference:

“Existing SARS-2-specific T cells are predicted to cross-recognize BA.2.86,” Alessandro Sette, John Sidney, and Alba Grifoni, December 8, 2023. Cell hosts and microorganisms.DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.010 The study, “Existing SARS-2-specific T cells are predicted to mutually recognize BA.2.86,” also includes study author John Sidney. This research was supported by: National Institutes of HealthNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Contract No. 75N93021C00016 and Contract No. 75N93019C00001)

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The reasons why certain individuals do not exhibit symptoms of coronavirus infection

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The peptide NQK-Q8 (light color), part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that the virus uses to enter cells, bound to the groove of HLA-B*15:01 (orange color). This figure shows the crystal structure of HLA-B*15:01 in complex with the spike-derived peptide NQKLIANQF from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, published by Augusto et al., 2023 (Nature) (PDB Entry – 8ELH) It is based on.Credit: Andre Luis Lourenço

New study shows common genetic variations among people are involved in mediating SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic infection.

Have you ever wondered why some people don’t get sick? COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection)? Research recently published in journals Nature We show that common genetic variations among people are responsible for vectoring asymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The results show that people with this mutation do not feel sick once infected. This exciting discovery was the result of a joint U.S.-Australian study led by Dr. Danilo Augusto, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Jill Hollenbach, Professor, University of California, San Francisco. Stephanie Gras, a professor at La Trobe University in Australia.

The role of human leukocyte antigens (HLA)

The research focuses on a group of genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). These HLA genes code for proteins that the immune system uses to identify healthy cells and distinguish them from cells infected with bacteria or viruses. The HLA system is important for the immune response, but varies widely between individuals. Because of the role of HLA in fighting infections, researchers are wondering whether there may be certain variants that make us more protected against or more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. I thought about it. virus.

Danilo Augusto, assistant professor of biological sciences at UNC Charlotte;

Research results and methodology

Hollenback led the data collection that began early in the pandemic. First, 29,947 unvaccinated people were screened using a mobile app specifically designed to track COVID-19 symptoms, and 1,428 people tested positive for the virus. reported.everyone has their own DNA It has been pre-sequenced for HLA gene analysis. Researchers found that people with the gene mutation HLA-B*15:01 were much more likely to remain asymptomatic after infection. Remarkably, this variant is present in approximately 10% of the population. In summary, those who had HLA-B*1501 in their genome could not avoid infection, but they were spared from getting sick.

Insights into the immune response

“We hypothesized that their immune systems would respond so quickly and strongly that the virus would be cleared before they could cause symptoms. It would be because they already know what to look for. It’s like having an army where you can tell by their uniforms that they’re bad guys,” Hollenback said.

HLA molecules present parts of the virus to immune effector cells for testing. The study used cells from individuals with HLA-B*15:01 who donated blood several years before the pandemic. The results showed that these people had memory T cells against specific particles of SARS-CoV-2. People who had never had any contact with SARS-CoV-2 had already been exposed to other viruses in some way and had developed an immune memory against particles from SARS-CoV-2.

Their immunological memory would elicit a much faster response and explain why those people remain asymptomatic. Still, it remained intriguing how they were able to develop immune memory against SARS-CoV-2 without ever being exposed to this virus.

cross-reactive immune response

“It is widely known that other types of coronaviruses have been causing seasonal colds for decades. We know that these people have been exposed to seasonal coronaviruses in the past and that somehow Alternatively, we hypothesized that people specifically carrying HLA-B*15:01 could rapidly kill cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 through a cross-reactive immune response. So even if the bad guys changed their uniforms, the military would be able to identify them by a tattoo on their boots or maybe an arm. That’s how our immunological memory works to keep us healthy. ” Augusto said.

After careful analysis of the genome sequences of all coronaviruses, this study found that this SARS-CoV-2 particle, recognized by HLA-B*15:01 in unexposed individuals, was It was shown to be very similar to particles. By presenting crystal structures and affinity assays, this study demonstrated that T cells from pre-pandemic individuals can discriminate between past coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 virus particles with equal efficiency. This means that these individuals have created immunological memory against previous coronaviruses, but because of the high similarity of this viral particle, memory T cells also recognize SARS-CoV-2 very quickly. can be killed.

Implications and future research

The results point to a mechanism for how individuals avoid illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the research group plans to continue learning about responses to the virus, which could lead to treatments for COVID-19. Your understanding of the law and vaccines will deepen.

For more information about this study, see “Uncovering the secrets of the COVID-19 ‘Super Dodgers’.” Reference: “Common alleles of” HLA Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection is Associated with .

Danilo G. Augusto, Lawton D. Murdlo, Demetra SM Chatzileontiadu, Joseph J. Sabatino Jr., and Tasneem Yousufari , Noah D. Peiser, Xochitl Butcher, Kelly Kaiser, Caroline Guthrie, Victoria by W. Murray, Vivian Pe, Sannidhi Sarvadavabatla, Fiona Beltran, Gurjot S. Gill, Carla L. Lynch, Cassandra Yun, Colin T. Maguire, Michael J. Peluso, Rebecca Ho, Timothy J. Henrik, Stephen G. Deeks, Michelle Davidson, Scott Lu, Sarah A. Goldberg, J. Daniel Kelly, Jeffrey N. Martin, Cynthia A. Vieira-Green, Stephen R. Spellman, David J. Langton, Michael J. Dewar-Aldiss, Corey Smith, Peter J. Bernard, Seulgi Lee, Gregory M. Marcus, Jeffrey M. E. Holguin, Mark J. Pletcher, Martin Myers, Stephanie Gras, Jill A. Hollenback, July 19, 2023, Nature.

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