Erasmus MC develops new test based on T cells | Inland

The scientists want to find out whether an infection can also be traced back to the T cells, which clean up pathogens and also make the body “remember” the infection. According to some scientific studies, the cells play a major role in the immune system.

The new test may be useful in people who have had a mild infection: “People who have had a mild infection sometimes don’t have enough antibodies to measure. There are indications that T cells can be measured in those people ”, says virologist Rory de Vries of Erasmus MC.

It may then also be possible to find out whether someone is protected. In addition to a possible T-cell test for the coronavirus, this research also provides new knowledge about the role of T cells in the immune response. This can be of great importance for understanding the immune response after vaccination, Erasmus reports. “For example, we do not yet know how long the vaccines will provide protection,” says De Vries.

The research will take approximately two years.

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