4 min listen
Coronapod: Why T cells have been overlooked
FromNature Podcast
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Released:
Jan 28, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Much of the coverage of COVID immunity often focuses on antibody response and for good reason - these small, y-shaped proteins can detect, and in some cases neutralise, viruses like SARS-CoV-2. But as variants like Omicron evolve to evade antibodies, the role of another part of the immune system, T cells, has been brought into sharper focus. These immune cells work in a different way to antibodies, attacking infected cells rather than the virus itself, which can make their response broader and more robust. Now, research is showing that, unlike antibodies, T cell potency is not impacted by the mutations in variants like Omicron. In this episode of Coronapod, we ask why T cells are so often overlooked, and what role they might be playing in our protection from the coronavirus.News:‘Killer’ immune cells still recognize Omicron variantSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
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Released:
Jan 28, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Nature Podcast Extra: Futures: Futures is Nature's weekly science fiction slot. Now its sister title Nature Physics has followed suit, publishing a sci-fi story each month. Kerri Smith reads you this month’s tale, The stuff we don’t do, by Marissa Lingen. by Nature Podcast