Covaxin Elicits Immune Memory to the Virus

In News

• Recent study found that the vaccine generates antibodies and easily detectable memory B cell and T cell responses in many recipients.

Key Takeaways 

• Most vaccinated persons have cellular immunological responses in the form of memory B cells and memory T cells, indicating that the immune system can respond quickly.
• The RBD-specific memory B cells were assessed in the research, but not the spike-specific memory B cells.

What are B-cells?

• B-cells are the type of cells that produce antibodies to fight bacteria and viruses. These antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that are specific to each pathogen and are able to lock onto the surface of an invading cell and mark it for destruction by other immune cells.

What are T-cells?

• T-cells also use cytokines as messenger molecules to send chemical instructions to the rest of the immune system to ramp up its response. 
• Activating T-cells against cancer cells is the basis behind checkpoint inhibitors, a relatively new class of immunotherapy drugs that have recently been federally approved to treat lung cancer, melanoma and other difficult cancers. 
• Types of T-cells:
  • Helper T-cells stimulate B-cells to make antibodies and help killer cells develop. 
  • Killer T-cells directly kill cells that have already been infected by a foreign invader. 

Source: TH