Acquired immunity to random food allergens may protect some lucky people against COVID-19 frontiersin frontiersin
finds that common foods, vaccines, bacteria and viruses may all prime our immune system to attack SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These agents all contain proteins that are similar to those found in SARS-CoV-2. As such, exposure to these proteins may train our immune system to respond when it encounters the virus. The study paves the way for new immunotherapies or vaccines that lead to stronger immunity against COVID-19.
When our body is attacked by a pathogen, such as a virus or bacterium, it launches an immune response that involves antibodies. These immune proteins stick to specific parts of the pathogen and contribute to its destruction. After the initial infection has subsided, white blood cells called memory T and B cells will retain a memory of the pathogen, or at least certain parts of its structure.
The researchers tested the ability of these antibodies to bind to 180 different proteins from common foods, two different vaccines, and 15 bacterial and viral proteins. The antibodies reacted most strongly with a common gut bacterium called E. faecalis and a vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Interestingly, they also reacted very strongly against proteins found in common foods, including broccoli, roasted almonds, pork, cashews, milk, soy, and pineapple.
Indeed, the researchers caution that although these agents could potentially provide some protection from SARS-CoV-2, they don't envisage them as a replacement for current vaccines. In addition, further testing is needed to confirm that these proteins do indeed confer some protection, and if so, whether it is mediated through a short-lived antibody response or a longer-term memory cell response.
The findings may shed some light on our variable responses to COVID-19 infection. With more research, these results could lead to more effective treatments or better vaccines against the virus. Another application may lie in assessing an individual's susceptibility to the virus before they have even been infected.