International researchers believe that certain people may be the key to the most effective treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Indeed, they would have a genetic immunity that could perhaps make it possible to develop an unprecedented treatment against Covid-19.
In September 2021, we referred to the term "superhuman immunity" regarding certain patients with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The latter develop very potent, but also very versatile antibodies. capable of overcoming the virus and several of its variants. In a somewhat similar line, a publication in the journal Nature Immunology of October 18, 2021 details the possibility of genetic immunity.
Coming from researchers from different countries specializing in immunology, infectious diseases and genetics, the publication evokes a specificity to be exploited in asymptomatic individuals who somehow won the lottery of the enormous inter-individual variability of coronavirus infections. These range from asymptomatic infections to life-threatening illnesses.
Scientists are behind a global initiative to dissect the human genetic basis resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to them, the clinical variability of the response to infection could find an answer in certain human genetic factors. Their hypothesis? In some families, everyone has been infected except for one person. Thus, it is possible that some highly exposed individuals are resistant to infection.
Vaccines came on the scene quite quickly in an attempt to stem the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, there has also been talk of anti-Covid-19 pills manufactured by the US laboratory Merck &Co. However, the researchers of the study believe that potentially genetically immune people hold the key to developing the treatment the most. more effective against the virus.
You should know that natural immunities have constantly been the subject of studies in an effort to find cures. This was for example the case for HIV. Despite a lack of understanding of the human genetic and immunological bases of innate resistance to SARS-CoV-2, asymptomatic people represent sufficient evidence to focus on this field of research.
Experts have already developed a process as part of the Covid Human Genetic Effort project. First, the goal is to find uninfected people within families affected by the virus. Then they will expose the volunteers to Covid-19 patients without any protection. This exhibition should last one hour a day, for three to five days. It will then be a question of evaluating the responses of the T lymphocytes specific to SARS-CoV-2 in resistant candidate individuals as well as in people infected with the virus. No less than 4,000 people have already given their consent to carry out this work.
