There is a cross-immunity against the Coronavirus?
Why do some people after an infection with the new Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 to be particularly difficult to COVID-19 fall ill, while others develop no symptoms, remains, as yet, entirely unclear. May be a part of this could be a immunity in the population due to previous infections with other coronaviruses, suggest Researchers from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin).
The hypothesis of a possible cross-immunity is now to. in a joint study conducted by the research teams of Prof. Dr. Andreas Thiel of the Charite –… Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Prof. Dr. Roland Lauster from the TU Berlin will be investigated. Even people who were not been confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 may have antibodies against the Virus, has already been demonstrated. The question is whether this is actually a partial immunity is achieved, however, remains.
“The Corona Hotspots that arise from time to time in Germany, illustrate the paradoxical Situation: Some people become very ill in Corona. Others have only mild or no symptoms – even though they were possibly exposed to the same source of Infection,“ reports the TU Berlin. With the planned study, the researchers hope to find the reasons for this.
Corona virus, the immune system has long been familiar
As corona virus, the virus colds, the family is responsible for a part of the usual Winter, accompany humanity for a long time, the immune system of many people with this virus family is familiar with, explain the researchers. Therefore, it could be that a certain degree of immunity against this new Coronavirus is.
In the case of a viral infection, the immune system reacts to certain proteins or structures of the corresponding pathogen and initiates a cascade of defense reactions, explain the researchers. The pathogens are the immune system is unknown, the reaction is slow. But after the first contact with the pathogens will be generated, in General, a so-called immunological memory, so that upon renewed contact with the immune system much faster and more efficient can react.
Cross-reactivity with similar viruses
Disease are pathogens, very similar – as, for example, a virus from a family – could it happen that the immune system also responds to structures of an actually unknown pathogen quickly and efficiently, because the structures of these viruses differ only slightly, according to the TU Berlin. These so-called cross-reactivity could also contribute to some protection against the new Coronavirus.
“May be related to the different response to the new Coronavirus, perhaps, to the fact that the immune system of the people, who had more often contact to the harmless members of the family of the corona virus, is alerted? So already on immune cells, which then trigger a rapid response against the new Virus? That would at least be a way to explain the different trajectories,“ says Prof. Lauster.
In a recently published study involving researchers at the Charité-ends – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have already succeeded in the proof that also in the blood of people, the no COVID-19 had proven to cells that react specifically with proteins of the SARS-CoV-2-Virus-cross.
What are the effects of the cross-reactivity has?
It remains unclear, however, whether a possible acquired partial immunity softens the course of infection or whether the alerted immune system is exacerbating the reaction and it comes to relatively severe forms of the disease, explain the researchers. The now planned by the Federal Ministry for health (BMG) and the Federal Institute for drugs and medical devices (BfArM) – funded study, in collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular genetics (MPIMG), and the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) implemented, should clarify these questions to the cross-immunity now.
Participants sought for study
For the planned study currently COVID will be looking for-19-Convalescent from the Berlin/Brandenburg area, who are willing to take a blood sample. You will be asked to register by E-Mail or telephone (Monday to Friday, between 10 and 17 clock Tel: 030 314 279 12 or by E-Mail to [email protected]). The same is true for patients, “which were affected in recent years by evidence of infections with common cold-corona virus (for example: 229E, OC43, NL63, or HKU1)”, the communication of the TU Berlin. A prerequisite for participation was that a written result of the positive Coronavirus Smear or a positive anti-body is present Tests – or, at least, for a submission to be. (fp)