Much of the coverage of COVID immunity often focuses on antibody response and for good reason - these small, y-shaped proteins can detect, and in some cases neutralise, viruses like SARS-CoV-2. But as variants like Omicron evolve to evade antibodies, the role of another part of the immune system, T cells, has been brought into sharper focus. These immune cells work in a different way to antibodies, attacking infected cells rather than the virus itself, which can make their response broader and more robust. Now, research is showing that, unlike antibodies, T cell potency is not impacted by the mutations in variants like Omicron. In this episode of Coronapod, we ask why T cells are so often overlooked, and what role they might be playing in our protection from the coronavirus.
News:‘Killer’ immune cells still recognize Omicron variant
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Read the paper: COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b1 elicits human antibody and TH1 T cell responses
How ‘killer’ T cells could boost COVID immunity in face of new variants
Waning COVID super-immunity raises questions about Omicron
