A joint research team has found that the protective immune memory T cells, generated while recovering from Covid-19 infection, maintain their function even after 10 months.

A joint research team -- led by Professors Shin Eui-chul at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Choi Won-seok at Korean University Ansan Hospital, and Jung Hye-won at Chungbuk National University Hospital -- has found that Covid-19 immune cells maintain function even after 10 months.
A joint research team -- led by Professors Shin Eui-chul at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Choi Won-seok at Korean University Ansan Hospital, and Jung Hye-won at Chungbuk National University Hospital -- has found that Covid-19 immune cells maintain function even after 10 months.

The team said it expects that the findings will be an important indicator for evaluating and developing a Covid-19 vaccine as the research is the first in the world to report the development of stem cell-like memory cells related to Covid-19. Memory T cells are immune cells that develop after recovery from Covid-19.

Professors Shin Eui-chul at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Choi Won-seok at Korean University Ansan Hospital, and Jung Hye-won at Chungbuk National University Hospital led the study.

"Although the memory T-cells cannot prevent infection itself, research has found that it prevents severe progression," the team said.

Many researchers believe that memory T-cells and neutralizing antibodies are the core of protective immunity against Covid-19. However, it was unclear how much memory T cells maintain their function, the team added.

Accordingly, the joint research team conducted a follow-up study for 10 months in patients recovering from Covid-19 in Korea.

Using the latest immunology research techniques, the team analyzed the characteristics and maintenance period of memory T cells and stemmed cell-like memory T cells and multifunctional memory T cells.

The team confirmed that memory T cell maintenance in most recovering patients regardless of the severity of their Covid-19 symptoms. Researchers also found that even after 10 months have elapsed, if the memory T-cell comes into contact with the Covid-19 virus antigen, they multiply and activate protective immune functions and activate multifunctional T cells simultaneously.

They also found that patients who recovered from Covid-19 developed stem cell-like memory T cells, which have a regenerative function that helps maintain memory T cells for a long time.

"As the world's longest-running study of memory T cell function and characteristics in patients recovering from COVID-19, the study is meaningful in that it has laid the foundation for designing a next-generation vaccine development strategy through time-dependent protective immunity analysis," Professors Shin said.

The joint research team plans to conduct a follow-up study to identify the memory T cell formation and functional characteristics of those currently vaccinated, and at the same time to understand the immunological effect of the vaccine by comparing it with the memory T cells of those who have recovered from Covid-19.

Nature Communications has published the results of the study.

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