SARS-CoV-2 Infection Induced Long-Lived Immune Response

A new study published in the journal Nature by researchers associated with Washington University School of Medicine found 'that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a robust antigen-specific, long-lived humoral immune response in humans.'

Published on May 24, 2021, this study focused on long-lived bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs), a persistent and essential source of protective antibodies.

It has been reported that anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies experience rapid decay in the first few months after infection, raising concerns that long-lived BMPCs may not be generated and humoral immunity against this virus may be short-lived.

These researchers demonstrated that in patients who experienced mild infections (n=77), serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) antibodies declined rapidly in the first 4 months after infection and then more gradually over the following 7 months, remaining detectable at least 11 months after infection.

Anti-S antibody titers correlated with the frequency of S-specific BMPCs obtained from bone marrow aspirates of 18 SARS-CoV-2 convalescent patients 7 to 8 months after infection.

S-specific BMPCs were not detected in aspirates from 11 healthy subjects with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The researchers found that S-binding BMPCs are quiescent, indicating that they are part of a long-lived compartment.

Consistently, circulating resting memory B cells directed against the S protein were detected in the convalescent individuals.

Overall, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a robust antigen-specific, long-lived humoral immune response in humans.

This is an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. Nature Research is providing this early version of the manuscript as a service to our authors and readers. No industry conflicts were disclosed. Correspondence to Ali H. Ellebedy.