Interview with G.A.Efimov. T-cell Immunity is Much Better Protected against Viral Mutations than Humoral Immunity

In response to coronavirus infection, just as with any other infection, our body mobilizes two immune defense systems: antibodies and T-lymphocytes, or T-cells. The humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection (the production of antibodies that intercept the virus and prevent it from infecting the cell) has been well-studied; however T-cell response is not. Nevertheless, it is T-lymphocytes that not only detect and destroy infected cells, but also affect long-term immune memory. How is T-cell immunity tested? Are there any differences in its development in people who have had COVID-19 and those who have been vaccinated? Will vaccines created for the original SARS-CoV-2 protect against mutants? Grigorii Aleksandrovich Efimov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Transplant Immunology at the National Medical Research Center for Hematology answers these and other questions.

SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, T-cell immunity, S-protein, vaccination, test system