Repeated COVID vaccinations enhance mucosal immunity against the virus!
A NEW study finds that individuals who received multiple doses of mRNA vaccines exhibited a marked increase in neutralizing antibodies in nasal secretions, which are essential for blocking viral entry. 1/
Not only that, but the immune responses generated by mRNA vaccines may persist longer than previously thought, which provides hope for sustained protection against emerging variants of the virus. 2/
They found that most mucosal neutralizing antibodies were of systemic origin, w/ antibodies circulating in blood migrating to respiratory mucosa in the nose, suggesting that repeated vaccination stimulates systemic antibody production that can reach mucosal membranes. 3/
This study provides compelling evidence that repeated mRNA vaccinations can improve mucosal antibody responses, or stimulate pre-existing infection induced mucosal responses, which are vital for preventing infection at the entry points of the virus. 4/
These findings advance our understanding of mRNA vaccine–induced immunity and have implications for the design of vaccine strategies to combat respiratory infections. 5/
The researchers show that XBB.1.5 mRNA boosters result in increased serum neutralization to multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants in humans, including the dominant circulating variant JN.1. 7/
In contrast, they found that XBB.1.5 mRNA booster did not augment mucosal NAbs or mucosal IgA responses, although acute SARS-CoV-2 XBB infection substantially increased mucosal antibody responses. 8/
The Lasrado et al. study shows that current XBB.1.5 mRNA boosters substantially enhance peripheral antibody responses but do not robustly increase mucosal antibody responses. 9/
These differing results by two studies may be due to the number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations or exposures, time since last exposure, and experimental approaches, but this pair of papers underscores the need to better understand the mucosal immune response in humans. 10/10
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Researchers have developed an innovative antibody platform aimed at tackling one of the greatest challenges in treating rapidly evolving viruses like SARS-CoV-2: their ability to mutate and evade existing vaccines and therapies. 1/
Their findings, including preclinical studies in mice, introduce the Adaptive Multi-Epitope Targeting and Avidity-Enhanced (AMETA) Nanobody Platform, a new antibody approach for addressing how viruses like SARS-CoV-2 evolve to evade vaccines and treatments. 2/
Since the beginning, SARS-CoV-2 has quickly mutated, making many vaccines & treatments less effective.
To combat this, they created AMETA, a versatile platform that uses engineered nanobodies to simultaneously target multiple regions of virus that are less likely to mutate 3/
SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to ‘Alice In Wonderland Syndrome’!
SARS-CoV-2 may be responsible for ‘Alice In Wonderland Syndrome’ (AIWS), in addition to other neurological symptoms. AIWS can persist up to one month after the resolution of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. 1/
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) is a disorienting neurological condition that affects human perception to the senses of vision, hearing, touch, sensation, and the phenomenon of time. 2/
Here, researchers describe two children presenting with AIWS during SARS-CoV-2 infection, in one case otherwise asymptomatic. 3/
With other viral infections, the most susceptible populations are generally at two extremes in age: the very young and the very old. Influenza & RSV—are just two of multiple viruses that cause significant morbidity and mortality in the two vulnerable age groups. 1/
But, this of thumb fails to apply, however, when the infection is caused by SARS-CoV-2, or any other coronavirus capable of causing severe infections.
How does the youngest population of children, no matter where they are in the world, continually elude severe COVID? 2/
Researchers in a NEW study found that preschool-age children had a different adaptive immune response, with a lower frequency of antiviral CD4+ T cells, compared with older children and adults. 3/
Disruptions of mitochondrial functions have a fundamental influence on Crohn's disease. This connection has now been demonstrated by a recent study. Researchers show that defective mitochondria trigger symptoms of chronic intestin inflammation and influence the microbiome. 1/
Although the causes of Crohn's disease are not yet fully understood, it has been known for some years that changes in the gut microbiome are associated with inflammatory diseases. 2/
Some researchers see these changes—the causes of which remain unknown—as the trigger of the disease.
A team has searched for the causes of these changes in the microbiome and investigated the interplay of the microbiome, the intestinal epithelium and mitochondria. 3/
Researchers in a NEW study found people with wide-ranging #longCOVID symptoms were twice as likely to have SARS-CoV-2 proteins in their blood, compared to those without longCOVID symptoms. 1/
A persistent infection could explain why some people experience longCOVID symptoms. The researchers found evidence of persistent infection in 43 percent of participants with cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal or neurologic symptoms of longCOVID. 2/
If we can identify a subset of people who have persistent viral symptoms because of a reservoir of virus in the body, we may be able to treat them with antivirals to alleviate their symptoms. 3/
Researchers have discovered more than 200 new vaccine target candidates from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that could lead to the development of vaccines with a longer lasting broader immunity than existing vaccinations. 1/
Original Covid-19 vaccines focused on B cell-mediated antibody responses for developing immunity. We now know that recruiting the other arm of the immune system, the T cells, can help to maintain immunity for longer. 2/
In the study the researchers describe more than 200 SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides that could be targets for new and improved vaccines against COVID-19 and validate that a number of those peptides can trigger T cell responses in convalescent individuals. 3/