Scientists from Yale University found more information about how the body’s immune system fights the virus that causes COVID-19.
The research is published in Nature Communications and was conducted by Avraham Unterman et al.
The exaggerated immune responses characterizing severe COVID-19 infection are not well understood.
In response to injury or infection, the immune system exhibits a coordinated response between its different components that eliminate the infection without harming the infected person.
In this study, the team found that in patients with severe COVID-19, this coordination is lost, leading to uncontrolled amplification of the immune system.
They tested blood cells obtained from patients throughout disease progression, at early and late points of time in the disease in patients who were hospitalized but recovered, and in those with progressive COVID-19 who required hospitalization and eventually succumbed to the disease.
The team says the adaptive immune system, which attacks pathogens, and the innate immune system, which initially recognizes the infection, are supposed to be coordinated.
When they are not coordinated, the clearance of the virus is delayed, the infection is amplified, and the host immune response to the virus becomes dysregulated, which can be very dangerous for patients.
To develop therapies for severe COVID-19, researchers need to understand the immune response. The findings from this study may allow the identification of new novel therapies.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about a novel vaccine method to prevent COVID-19 infection, and this drug combo can effectively fight COVID-19.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies about the most effective face-mask practices to reduce spread of COVID-19, and results showing the maximum risks of COVID infection with and without masks.
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