Older people and people with underlying medical conditions are at particular risk of severe COVID-19. A group of researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered one possible reason for this vulnerability. While these risk groups produce greater quantities of an important type of immune cell known as ‘T-helper cells’, their T-helper cells show impaired function. This ‘molecular brake’ on the immune system could serve as a potential new treatment target in patients with severe COVID-19. The researchers’ findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation*.
Soon after the emergence of COVID-19, medical experts from across the globe reported the same phenomenon. They found that older people and people with underlying medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes) were more likely to develop severe disease. There is likely an array of medical reasons why advancing age or health problems should make it more difficult for our bodies to fight an infection with SARS-CoV-2. One of the factors suspected of playing a major role in this regard was the immune system. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Charité has collated findings which support this hypothesis.
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The Journal of Clinical Investigation:
