Australian researchers have uncovered a new immune cell that can lead to inadequate antibody responses in long-lasting viral infections. This cell, known as a B cell, is responsible for remembering past infections and helping us fight off diseases we’ve encountered before. However, it often has a weak ability to protect us from persistent infections. The researchers have now figured out how chronic viral infection induces a previously unknown type of B memory cell that doesn’t produce high levels of antibody. This discovery sheds light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the human immune system.The discovery, released today (9 April) in the journal, Immunity, could potentially lead to earlier treatment and even prevention of certain viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis.
One of the remaining puzzles of the human immune system is why a specific type of cell, known as a B cell, which holds onto a memory for past infections to help us fight off diseases we’ve had before, often has a limited ability to protect us from ongoing infections.
Scientists from the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute have essentially unraveled this puzzle by uncovering how persistent viral infections affect the functioning of B cells.The study found that chronic infection leads to the creation of a new type of immune B memory cell that doesn’t produce high levels of antibody. The research team, led by Professor Kim Good-Jacobson and Dr Lucy Cooper, also found that early intervention with therapeutics, such as anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs, is the best way to boost the development of these memory cells during the immune response. They discovered a previously unknown cell that is produced by chronic viral infection, and that early intervention with therapeutics is most effective in preventing the formation of this type of memory cell, while late intervention is not effective.Good-Jacobson stated. Dr. Cooper mentioned that chronic viral infections can impact our ability to produce long-lasting protective antibodies, but the exact mechanism is not yet understood. She added that this research could lead to the identification of new targets for therapy, with the goal of mitigating the harmful impact of chronic infectious diseases on global health, especially those that are not currently preventable through vaccines. Understanding this new type of immune memory cell and its genetic expression will help determine potential therapeutic targets and whether they can improve antibody responses.The researchers are also investigating whether this group is a characteristic of long COVID, which causes some individuals to have a decreased ability to combat the symptoms of COVID infection long after the virus has disappeared.
