來自普通感冒的 T 細胞可以提供針對 COVID-19 的保護 - 研究

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

T-cells from common colds can provide protection against COVID-19 - study

Mon, January 10, 2022, 2:12 AM

By Alistair Smout

  LONDON (Reuters) - High levels of T-cells from common cold coronaviruses can provide protection against COVID-19, an Imperial College London study published on Monday has found, which could inform approaches for second-generation vaccines.

  Immunity against COVID-19 is a complex picture, and while there is evidence of waning antibody levels six months after vaccination, T-cells are also believed to play a vital role in providing protection.

  The study, which began in September 2020, looked at levels of cross-reactive T-cells generated by previous common colds in 52 household contacts of positive COVID-19 cases shortly after exposure, to see if they went on to develop infection.

  It found that the 26 who did not develop infection had significantly higher levels of those T-cells than people who did get infected. Imperial did not say how long protection from the T-cells would last.

  "We found that high levels of pre-existing T cells, created by the body when infected with other human coronaviruses like the common cold, can protect against COVID-19 infection," study author Dr Rhia Kundu said.

  The authors of the study, published in Nature Communications, said that the internal proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which are targeted by the T-cells could offer an alternative target for vaccine makers.

  Current COVID-19 vaccines target the spike protein, which mutates regularly, creating variants such as Omicron which lessen the efficacy of vaccines against symptomatic infection.

  "In contrast, the internal proteins targeted by the protective T-cells we identified mutate much less," Professor Ajit Lalvani, co-author of the study, said.

  "Consequently, they are highly conserved between the various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron. New vaccines that include these conserved, internal proteins would therefore induce broadly protective T cell responses that should protect against current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants."

  (Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Translation

  倫敦（路透社）- 倫敦帝國理工學院週一發表的一項研究發現，來自普通感冒冠狀病毒的高水平 T 細胞可以提供針對 COVID-19 的保護，這可以為第新一代疫苗提供對應的方法。

  針對 COVID-19 的免疫力是一幅複雜的景像，雖然有證據表明疫苗接種六個月後抗體水平下降，但 T 細胞也被認為在提供保護方面發揮著至關重要的作用。

  該研究於 2020 年 9 月開始， 對52 名 COVID-19 陽性病例接觸者的家庭,在他們接觸COVID-19後不久, 研究他們之前因普通感冒而產生的交叉反應性 T 細胞的水平，以了解他們是否繼續有感染。

  研究發現，26 名沒有感染的人的 T 細胞水平明顯高於被感染的人。帝國理工沒有說明對 T 細胞的保護能持續多久。

  研究作者 Rhia Kundu 博士說： “我們發現，人體在感染其他人類冠狀病毒（如普通感冒）時產生的高水平的預先存在的 T 細胞可以預防 COVID-19 感染” 。

 在 Nature Communications 中, 該研究的作者發表說，被 T 細胞靶向的 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的內部蛋白質可以為疫苗製造商提供替代目標。

  目前的 COVID-19 疫苗針對的是刺突蛋白，該蛋白會定期突變，產生諸如 Omicron 之類的變體，從而降低疫苗對症狀性感染的功效。

 該研究的合著者 Ajit Lalvani 教授說:  “相比之下，我們發現的保護性 T 細胞靶向的內部蛋白質的突變要少得多” 。

  “因此，它們在包括 Omicron 在內的各種 SARS-CoV-2 變體之間高度不變保。因此，包含這些不變的內部蛋白質的新疫苗將誘導廣泛的保護性 T 細胞反應，從而防止當前和未來的 SARS-CoV-2 變體” 。

              So, current COVID-19 vaccines target the spike protein which mutates regularly. In contrast, to aim at the internal proteins targeted by the protective T-cells may be more effective in vaccination. This discovery could be a game changer in future vaccine productions.