Viral immunity discovery could improve vaccine design

Researchers have identified a molecular switch that impacts immune responses to viral infections, and whether or not protective antibodies are produced. The team also made the surprising discovery that the immune system protects against different viruses via distinct pathways. Their findings could lead to better strategies to develop vaccines for previously hard-to-prevent viruses. The research, led by Dr Joanna Groom and PhD student Ms Amania Sheikh, was published in the journal Cell Reports. Molecular switch Our immune system comprises a complex network of cells and signalling molecules that can produce a range of responses to infections, Ms Sheikh said. “Immune T cells are critical for coordinating specific immune responses, recruiting other cells and directing how we respond to different microbes such as bacteria, fungi or viruses,” she said. “We knew that the protein T-bet was important for the function of many immune cells, and wanted to understand its role in a subset of immune T...