T-Cell Response vs Antibody Response
The University of Oxford in collaboration with Astra Zeneca has a potential COVID Vaccine that produces both a T cell and antibody response. So, what does that mean?
A trial at the University of Oxford involved 1,077 people was shown to result in the body making antibodies and T cells to help fight the coronavirus. The vaccine was made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. It has been modified by transferring the genetic instructions for the coronavirus’s “spike protein” to the vaccine, with the hopes that this will teach the body to react against a real infection. This vaccine shows great promise since it induces both an antibody response and T cell response.
So what does an antibody and T cell response mean?
Well most of the focus has been on the body making antibodies. This is the idea behind convalescent plasma blood donors. COVID-19 Moderna and Biontech/Pfizer’s vaccines first published data demonstrating the body producing neutralizing antibodies, with little said about T cell response.
Now we are learning that some of the vaccines in clinical trials are producing both antibodies and T cells.
Antibodies are small proteins made by the immune system that stick onto the surface of the viruses. These proteins can be recognized and sometimes be neutralizing antibodies that inactivate the viral particles.
T cells are a type of white blood cell that help co-ordinate the immune system and are able to spot which of the body’s cells have been infected and destroy them. They can also promote other immune response, including antibody production.
Nearly all effective vaccines are able to induce both an antibody and a T-cell response. It has also been speculated that specifically to prevent severe COVID-19 infections the body will need to produce a long-lasting effect that will involve both a cellular immunity (T cell ) and humoral immunity (antibody-based).
We still do not have a vaccine on the market for COVID. Vaccines are in clinical trials with promising results. My personal prediction is if any of the vaccines are approved to be effective we may have multiple vaccines on the market that each work differently.
References:
1. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53469839 Accessed on July 26, 2020
2. https://www.evaluate.com/vantage/articles/news/trial-results/covid-19-vaccine-contest-turns-t-cell-responses. Accessed on July 26, 2020
