B cells & Covid-19

If you’re a fan of antibodies, you have B cells to thank: They are the glorious wellsprings whence these molecules hail. (On Mother’s Day, antibodies call their B cells.) - Katherine J. Wu

B cells & Covid-19
B cells & Covid-19

image by: Abdullah Btni

HWN Recommends

The cells that can give you super-immunity

One of the things which Covid-19 has illustrated to immunologists is that people who have a greater diversity of B cells are much more equipped to fend off a new pathogen, and particularly the ever-evolving variants of Covid-19. This is impacted by age, underlying health conditions, and also simply genetics. "Everyone will have a different repertoire of B cells with which they respond to any infection," says Ali Ellebedy, associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine. "Even if you have siblings, they will have different B cell responses."

As we get older, two things happen to the B cell response.

read full article

Resources

 The cells that can give you super-immunity

In the 1960s, immunologists found that chickens which had their bursa – a major immune organ in birds – destroyed with radiation, lacked certain cells necessary to produce antibodies. These became known as Bursa-derived cells or B cells. By the mid 1970s, it was discovered that these cells form in humans in the bone marrow, before migrating to the lymph nodes or the spleen.

Introducing Stitches!

Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!

Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.


Be the first to know when Stitches starts accepting users


Stay Connected