Why 'Killer' T Cells Could Boost COVID Immunity In Face Of New Variants Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary PALM BEACH, Fla., May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the race against emerging coronavirus variants, researchers are looking beyond antibodies for clues to lasting protection from COVID-19. Concerns about coronavirus variants that might be partially resistant to antibody defenses have spurred renewed interest in other immune responses that protect against viruses. In particular, scientists are hopeful that T cells - a group of immune cells that can target and destroy virus-infected cells - could provide some immunity to COVID-19, even if antibodies become less effective at fighting the disease. Researchers are now picking apart the available data, looking for signs that T cells could help to maintain lasting immunity. Alongside antibodies, the immune system produces a battalion of T cells that can target viruses. Some of these, known as killer T cells, seek out and destroy cells that are infected with the virus. Others, called helper T cells are important for various immune functions, including stimulating the production of antibodies and killer T cells. An article in Nature.com addressed the subject saying: "T cells do not prevent infection, because they kick into action only after a virus has infiltrated the body. But they are important for clearing an infection that has already started. In the case of COVID-19, killer T cells could mean the difference between a mild infection and a severe one that requires hospital treatment, says Annika Karlsson, an immunologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "If they are able to kill the virus-infected cells before they spread from the upper respiratory tract, it will influence how sick you feel," she says. They could also reduce transmission by restricting the amount of virus circulating in an infected person, meaning that the person sheds fewer virus particles into the community." Active biotech companies in the market this week include