Antibodies for a long time

Long-lived antibody-producing cells have been found in the bone marrow of people who have had covid

Marina Astvatsaturyan, Echo of Moscow

Many people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are likely to develop antibodies against this coronavirus for almost a lifetime. This is the opinion of scientists who have identified long-lived antibodies-producing cells in the bone marrow of people who recovered after COVID-19. An article published by the journal Nature (Turner et al., SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans) provides evidence that the immunity formed in response to COVID-19 should be unusually long-term. Antibodies – proteins that recognize viral particles and contribute to their inactivation – are key components of immune defense. As soon as a new infection appears, the very first source of antibodies are short-lived plasmoblast cells (this is one of the types of leukocytes). But these cells decrease as the virus disappears from the body, and then antibodies begin to produce other, long-lived cells. These are memory B cells that patrol the bloodstream, preventing repeated infection, and bone marrow plasma cells (bone marrow plasma cells, BMPCs), which have been producing and releasing antibodies in small quantities for decades. "Plasma cells are the story of our life, they tell us what pathogens we have encountered," explained in a press release Good news: Mild COVID–19 induces lasting antibody protection head of the published study Ali Ellebedy from Washington University in St. Louis (Washington University in St. Louis), state Missouri.

SARS-CoV-2 infection can initiate the formation of bone marrow plasma cells, similar to how almost all viral infections do, but there are signs that severe COVID-19 interrupts the process. Preliminary results of some studies of post-covid immunity confirm concerns that a sufficient level of antibodies does not last long after recovery. Ellebedi and colleagues tracked the production of antibodies in 77 people who recovered from covid in a relatively mild form. As expected, the level of antibodies decreased significantly four months after infection, but then this decline slowed down, and even 11 months after infection, antibodies recognizing the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were still detected. To find the source of antibodies, the authors isolated memory B cells and bone marrow from the study participants. In most of them, B cells still recognized the virus, and in 15 of the 18 bone marrow samples, scientists found a very low, but still detectable population of plasma cells, the formation of which was triggered by a coronavirus infection seven to eight months ago. In five participants who re-provided bone marrow samples a few months later, the level of these cells did not change.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru