Found: the cells that make the antibodies behind severe viral illness

Why do some viral infections stay mild while others turn dangerous? Part of the answer is sabotage: some patients' own antibodies block type I interferons, the body's early-warning signals against viruses. Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have now traced those antibodies to their source. Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, their study of blood from people with severe COVID-19 and from patients with the rare immune condition APS-1 found the blocking antibodies are made by different cell families in each group — mainly memory B cells in severe COVID-19, and atypical B cells in APS-1. Knowing exactly which cells produce the sabotage is the first step to tests that flag who is vulnerable before a virus strikes, and to treatments that stop the antibodies at their source.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation