The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has caused another major wave of infections worldwide. Vaccinated people or those who were infected with a previous virus variant can also become infected with Omicron. Nevertheless, severe cases are relatively rare. Scientists at the University Hospital of Freiburg have now broken down in detail how cross-variant protection against infection or severe disease progression occurs. The researchers published their results on April 28, 2022 in the online edition of the renowned journal Nature Microbiology.

“In our study, we were able to show that memory T cells that were formed after vaccination or infection with an earlier Sars-CoV-2 variant can also recognize the omicron variant very well and protect against a severe infection “, explains co-study leader Dr. Maike Hofmann, who leads a research group in the Clinic for Internal Medicine II at the University Hospital of Freiburg. Hofmann will be presented with the German Research Foundation's Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize for her research next week.

“The ability of the antibodies to bind to the omicron variant is greatly reduced. Therefore, even after a vaccination booster, they only protect against infection with the omicron variant for a very short time,” Hofmann continued.

The immune response differs between those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered

The scientists also examined possible differences in the immune responses of those who have recovered and those who have been vaccinated.

“Both groups have a broad T cell response: in those who have recovered, the T cells recognize several virus proteins. In vaccinated people, the immune response is essentially directed against the spike protein, which is produced in the body from the mRNA vaccine and then triggers the immune response. The T cell response against the spike protein is broader and stronger in those who have been vaccinated than in those who have recovered,” reports co-study leader Prof. Dr. Christoph Neumann-Haefelin, head of the Gerok Liver Center at the University Hospital of Freiburg. “If those who have recovered are vaccinated, the T cell responses are also more diverse and thus protection against severe disease progression in future infections increases,” says Neumann-Haefelin.

Two of the first authors of these works are the two young scientific doctors Dr. Julia Lang-Meli and Dr. Hendrik Luxenburger. They are supported, among other things, by the “Clinician Scientist” program IMM-PACT at the University Hospital of Freiburg, which is funded by the German Research Foundation. It allows young female doctors to be released for research. “These important results were only possible thanks to the close networking between clinics and research,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme, Medical Director of the Clinic for Internal Medicine II at the University Hospital of Freiburg.

“In the public perception, the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 is often reduced to the formation of antibodies. The study that has now been published makes a significant contribution to obtaining a more complete picture of immune protection in connection with Sars-CoV-2,” says Prof. Dr. Lutz Hein, Dean of the Medical Faculty at the University of Freiburg.

You may also be interested in: No, COVID-19 is not caused by snake venom in drinking water

Original title of the study: SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell epitope repertoire in convalescent and mRNA-vaccinated individuals
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01106-y
Link to the study: https://www.nature.com/ articles/s41564-022-01106-y

Source: German health portal


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