How B cells fight the COVID-19 virus. - Lung Conditions C...

Lung Conditions Community Forum

56,333 members66,951 posts

How B cells fight the COVID-19 virus.

2greys profile image
1 Reply

Inside the body of a person with COVID-19, the immune system’s B cells are engaged in a full-scale battle with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But some B cells are better at this than others. Now, scientists from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, California Institute of Technology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and other institutions have for the first time described key characteristics of B cells that are effective at neutralizing, or inactivating, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and related coronaviruses.

The team studied blood samples from 14 people who recovered from COVID-19, and revealed distinct patterns of gene expression in B cells that produce antibodies that bind tightly to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2. They also discovered a new antibody, BG10-19, which neutralizes the virus, variants of concern such as ones first identified in the UK and South Africa, and the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak.

The findings, published today in Cell, could help scientists better understand why some people don’t respond as well to existing COVID-19 vaccines or therapies, a first step toward improving vaccines and treatments.

broadinstitute.org/news/how...

Cell. Study Report (pre-proof PDF)

cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-867...

Written by
2greys profile image
2greys
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
1 Reply
Dotdashdito profile image
Dotdashdito

Thanks so much for your post. Lovely to wake up to some good news! I will watch with interest

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Antifungal and antidepressant drugs may help protect against COVID-19.

New research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology indicates that two currently...
2greys profile image

Discovery of a druggable pocket in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein could stop virus in its tracks.

A druggable pocket in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein that could be used to stop the virus from...
2greys profile image

How Long the COVID-19 Virus Lasts on Surfaces: New Research on SARS-CoV-2 “Survivability”.

Researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus...
2greys profile image

Do we need a COVID-19 vaccine for pets?

SARS-CoV-2 has never been an exclusively human problem. Since the early days of the pandemic,...
2greys profile image

Coronavirus variants can evade antibodies by spreading via supercells – new research

The antibodies we create after we're infected with a virus or vaccinated against it can be very...
2greys profile image

Moderation team

See all
AsthmaandLung profile image
AsthmaandLungAdministrator
moderator_AandLUK profile image
moderator_AandLUKAdministrator
Claire_ALUK profile image
Claire_ALUKAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.