The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern
At the end of 2019 a newly emerged betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of severe pneumonia, subsequently termed COVID-19, in a number of patients in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread globally, r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/10/1911 |
| _version_ | 1797513032480325632 |
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| author | Elham Torbati Kurt L. Krause James E. Ussher |
| author_facet | Elham Torbati Kurt L. Krause James E. Ussher |
| author_sort | Elham Torbati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | At the end of 2019 a newly emerged betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of severe pneumonia, subsequently termed COVID-19, in a number of patients in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread globally, resulting in a pandemic that has to date infected over 200 million individuals and resulted in more than 4.3 million deaths. While SARS-CoV-2 results in severe disease in 13.8%, with increasing frequency of severe disease with age, over 80% of infections are asymptomatic or mild. The immune response is an important determinant of outcome following SARS-CoV-2 infection. While B cell and T cell responses are associated with control of infection and protection against subsequent challenge with SARS-CoV-2, failure to control viral replication and the resulting hyperinflammation are associated with severe COVID-19. Towards the end of 2020, several variants of concern emerged that demonstrate increased transmissibility and/or evasion of immune responses from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. This article reviews what is known about the humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and how mutation and structural/functional changes in the emerging variants of concern impact upon the immune protection from prior infection or vaccination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:09:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f077a27e4bd347e9ab4a7a44d4286291 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:09:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f077a27e4bd347e9ab4a7a44d42862912023-11-22T20:17:57ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-09-011310191110.3390/v13101911The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of ConcernElham Torbati0Kurt L. Krause1James E. Ussher2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New ZealandDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New ZealandDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New ZealandAt the end of 2019 a newly emerged betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of severe pneumonia, subsequently termed COVID-19, in a number of patients in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread globally, resulting in a pandemic that has to date infected over 200 million individuals and resulted in more than 4.3 million deaths. While SARS-CoV-2 results in severe disease in 13.8%, with increasing frequency of severe disease with age, over 80% of infections are asymptomatic or mild. The immune response is an important determinant of outcome following SARS-CoV-2 infection. While B cell and T cell responses are associated with control of infection and protection against subsequent challenge with SARS-CoV-2, failure to control viral replication and the resulting hyperinflammation are associated with severe COVID-19. Towards the end of 2020, several variants of concern emerged that demonstrate increased transmissibility and/or evasion of immune responses from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. This article reviews what is known about the humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and how mutation and structural/functional changes in the emerging variants of concern impact upon the immune protection from prior infection or vaccination.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/10/1911SARS-CoV-2COVID-19variants of concernimmune responsepandemicvaccine |
| spellingShingle | Elham Torbati Kurt L. Krause James E. Ussher The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern Viruses SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 variants of concern immune response pandemic vaccine |
| title | The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern |
| title_full | The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern |
| title_fullStr | The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern |
| title_short | The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern |
| title_sort | immune response to sars cov 2 and variants of concern |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 variants of concern immune response pandemic vaccine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/10/1911 |
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