In the two previous installments (one, two) of what has now become my praise of T cells, I explained that the SARS-CoV-2 protein sequences recognized by T cells do not change, likely explaining why vaccines prevent serious disease and death caused by any variant. Today I will explain that virus-specific T cells appear a week …
In our quest to stop the COVID-19 pandemic by vaccination, we have been myopically focussed on inducing antibodies against the spike protein. As variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged that reduce the ability of such antibodies to block infection, concern has arisen that we will not be able to halt the disease. Such concerns appear to …
Although we are less than a year into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it appears that the antibodies induced by infection are often of poor quality, and B cell memory seems limited. An explanation for this outcome might be a consequence of the loss of germinal centers in COVID-19 patients. Examination of lymph nodes and spleen of …
Immunity conferred by influenza virus vaccine is short-lived. After immunization with inactivated influenza virus vaccine, serum antibody levels peak within a few months and then decline rapidly. This decline was recently shown to be caused by loss of bone marrow plasma cells, a major source of serum antibodies. Results of a recent study partially address …
Immunologist Jon Yewdell joins Vincent and Rich to discuss immune responses in the context of infection with SARS-CoV-2. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 597 (69 MB .mp3, 115 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
Cindy, Steph, and Vincent reveal that lymphocyte trafficking through lymph nodes and lymph is circadian – it is dependent on the time of day. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span> Click arrow to play Download Immune 2 (53 MB .mp3, 87 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Show notes at microbe.tv/immune
