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亚洲AV researchers say their study of COVID-19 antibodies in people previously been infected with the virus reveals the human immune system鈥檚 strong ability to fight the virus, even if they showed minimal or no symptoms. Additional early results are showing that the vaccines being rolled out to combat the global pandemic generate a strong immune response.
, the co-director,聽co-founder聽and聽medical director聽of the聽聽(CAPMM) within Mason鈥檚聽,聽and his colleagues are聽using an improved COVID-19 antibody test developed聽as part of a Mason clinical聽study聽to聽measure聽the body鈥檚 response to the聽vaccine.
Based on months of聽study聽of patients who were naturally infected, Liotta and his team were able to verify that patients鈥 antibodies lasted longer than initially first believed and that they聽potentially聽helped prevent those patients from getting sick again.聽Early results of those who have been vaccinated have confirmed the shots聽to be聽strong聽boosters聽to聽the human immune system鈥檚 ability to combat the virus by generating more antibodies聽that block the virus spike protein tips.聽Tips of the spikes are the starting point for the virus to enter the patient鈥檚 cells.
鈥淭his research offers truth and hope,鈥 Liotta said. 鈥淭he public is anxious and very worried about the virus. They want to know if the聽vaccines work. They want to know if the聽antibodies聽made by the body after a natural infection or after a vaccine will聽actively work to fight the virus.聽If I聽do聽get sick, can these antibodies help me?
鈥淭he answer is yes.鈥澛
That聽welcome revelation聽could be key in聽lessening the chance for severe sickness and聽limiting聽the spread of the virus.
鈥淣evertheless we can鈥檛 let down our guard,聽and we must maintain social distancing and聽mask聽wearing聽practices聽that聽has protected our students and staff so well,鈥澛爏aid聽Julie Zobel, Mason鈥檚 assistant vice president for Safety, Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management.聽
Additionally, the expanded antibody research is providing scientists new clues about devising treatments for COVID-19, Liotta said, because of the many ways聽each of the聽different antibodies combat the virus.
鈥淲e are humbled at how good the immune system is at fighting this,鈥 Liotta said.
. The聽testing聽allows聽scientists see聽how聽the body recognizes and reacts to the virus, particularly important when it comes to asymptomatic cases.
鈥淸Some of the subject tested] never knew that they had contracted COVID,鈥 Liotta said, 鈥渂ut we can tell by looking at the antibodies that exist in their body. That鈥檚 a very important piece of information.鈥
Antibodies, which are Y-shaped proteins generated by the immune system鈥檚 white blood cells, could prove critical in the fight against COVID-19. They attach to antigens much like a key to a lock to destroy invading germs. Once exposed to the virus, the body creates memory cells that will henceforth recognize the invader and spur the immune system to create antibodies to fight it in the future. So having antibodies to COVID-19 could possibly prevent people from becoming infected with the virus again.
The aim of COVID-19聽vaccinations is to stimulate a similar聽antibody response that would provide聽that聽protection from the virus.聽Liotta鈥檚 team聽of internationally recognized experts in diagnostic testing聽includes colleagues聽, the research professor who oversees the聽Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine鈥檚聽CAP/CLIA certified laboratories,聽and聽,聽the associate professor overseeing the development of the laboratory antibody assay in the nanotechnology lab.聽They will collectively use their聽expertise in聽clinical laboratory medicine,聽biochemistry, bioinformatics, molecular biology and infectious diseases聽to confirm those antibody responses.
鈥淢ason has been on the forefront of COVID research,鈥 Espina said. 鈥淪ince March, we have been working on different aspects of COVID research, and [Mason has been] very responsive to testing and keeping the campus community safe. We have done a wonderful job as a university in being able to keep the university open, prevent layoffs and allow students to come back onto campus.鈥