Antibodies induced by mRNA shots improve for months; blood cells damaged by COVID cause blood vessel problems

R&I. – TXPAT. *** 
Reuters
February 18, 202210:06 AM PST

Feb 18 (Reuters) – The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

Antibodies improve for months after mRNA vaccine

Antibodies induced by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines keep improving in quality for at least six months while the immune system continues to “train” its antibody-producing B cells, according to a new study.

After vaccination, some B cells become short-lived antibody-producing cells, while others join “germinal centers” in lymph nodes – essentially, a training camp where they mature and perfect their skills. “Cells that successfully graduate (from germinal centers) can become long-lived antibody-producing cells that live in our bone marrow or ‘memory B cells’ that are ready to engage if the person gets infected,” explained Ali Ellebedy of Washington University in St. Louis. Animal studies have suggested that so-called germinal center reactions last only weeks. But analyses of blood, lymph node tissue and bone marrow from volunteers who received the Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech vaccine showed germinal center reactions induced by the shots lasted at least six months, with antibodies becoming increasingly better at recognizing and attacking the spike protein of the original version of SARS-CoV-2, Ellebedy’s team reported on Tuesday in Nature.

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Bugs Marlowe

Article URL : https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/antibodies-induced-by-mrna-shots-improve-months-blood-cells-damaged-by-covid-2022-02-18/