Antibodies induced by mRNA shots improve for several months. Blood cells damaged by COVID cause vascular problems

On April 3, 2020, men wear protective masks as they pass a promotional banner promoting the prevention of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hanoi, Vietnam. REUTERS / Kham

February 18 (Reuters)-The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They require further research to support the findings and include studies that have not yet been certified by peer review.

Antibodies improve for several months after mRNA vaccination

According to a new study, antibodies induced by the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will continue to improve in quality for at least 6 months while the immune system continues to “train” antibody-producing B cells.

After vaccination, some B cells become short-lived antibody-producing cells, while others join the “germinal center” of the lymph nodes. This is basically a training camp that matures and hone your skills. “Cells that graduate normally (from the germinal center) can be long-lived antibody-producing cells that live in the bone marrow, or” memory B cells “that are ready to be involved in the event of a human infection.” Explained Ali Ellebedy of the University of Washington. St. Louis. Animal studies suggest that the so-called germinal center reaction lasts only a few weeks.However, analysis of blood, lymph node tissue, and bone marrow from volunteers who received Pfizer (PFE.N)/ The BioNTech vaccine shows that the shot-induced germinal center response lasts for at least 6 months and that the antibody is getting better and better at recognizing and attacking the original version of SARS-CoV-2 peplomer. Shown, the Ellebedy team reported Tuesday of nature..

They did not test the ability of mature antibodies to neutralize the mutant, but in theory, the antibody should be able to better recognize the parts of the spikes common to the mutant and the original strain, Ellebedy said. .. Further research is needed to determine if this potent germinal center response is unique to the mRNA vaccine, or if it is also induced by more traditional vaccines.

Red blood cells damaged by COVID cause vascular problems

Dysfunctional red blood cells contribute to common vascular damage in severe COVID-19, according to laboratory studies that may suggest ways to treat the problem.

Many patients admitted with COVID-19 are thought to damage the endothelial cells that line blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots, organ dysfunction, and other complications. New discoveries in the blood of 17 moderately ill COVID-19 patients and 27 healthy volunteers confirm “serious and persistent endothelial dysfunction” as an effect of coronavirus, researchers said. Reported Wednesday of the Journal of American College of Cardiology.. Dr. Ali Mahdi of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm said that red blood cells in COVID-19 patients have fewer beneficial nitrogen monoxide molecules and more harmful molecules that cause inflammation than those in healthy people. increase. His team found that inflammatory molecules damage the lining of blood vessels, in combination with elevated levels of certain enzymes. As a result, the ship cannot relax properly.

This dysfunction is reversed by drugs that restore normal enzyme levels and limit the production of harmful molecules, Mahdi said. It is not yet clear if the test tube findings can be reproduced by people. Since the experiment was performed on the original coronavirus, it is unclear whether erythrocytes are similarly affected by the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 mutant.

Global projects help low-income countries reuse N95 masks

An international group of physicists, engineers and doctors have designed an inexpensive and easy-to-assemble cabinet with UV-C (UV-C) bulbs. This allows clinics in low-income countries to decontaminate and reuse over 900,000 protective N95 masks.

Consortium members reported that the prototype was built using a metal office storage cabinet lined with household aluminum foil and has UV-C bulbs on the front and back. Wednesday at NEJM Catalyst.. “Just put the mask on the rack, put it in the cabinet, close the door, turn on the device, apply the right amount of UV-C and inactivate the COVID-19 virus,” said Dr. Nicole Star of Surgery. Says. He was a trainee at the University of California, San Francisco and led this effort. This process takes about 10 minutes. Once the group had a viable design, they recruited members of the local student branch of the Optical Society of Japan Optica to build the cabinets and sometimes worked with the embassy to arrange the shipment of the necessary components. Engineering teams from 9 countries and hospitals from 12 countries worked on the project.

“Overall, it is estimated that 21 cabinets were used in the hospital and 930,000 N95s were decontaminated for reuse between July 2020 and January 2022,” Starr said. increase. According to the report, decontamination equipment currently used in US hospitals can cost $ 80,000 per unit. The team estimates that cabinets can be built for about $ 500 to $ 1,500, depending on location, and can handle up to about 5,000 masks per day at maximum capacity.

Click Reuters graphics About the vaccine under development.

Report by Nancy Rapid; Edited by Bill Berkrot

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