Study Details Immune Cells Vital to Success of Vaccines against Coronavirus
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A study has revealed new details about a key population of immune system cells critical to successful vaccination against the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2.
- A subset of T cells, labeled with the surface protein CD8, produce molecules that directly kill infected cells.
- B cells produce antibody proteins that neutralize and label infected cells for removal from the body.
- The mRNA vaccines deployed against COVID-19 were based on RNA, a genetic material used to encode the spike protein that the virus needs to attach to human cells.
- "Although our study looks at mRNA vaccination against coronavirus, the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell subpopulations we uncover represent key features of immune responses more broadly, and may help us to study T cells in other disease settings."