McMaster University immunologists discovered an unusual mechanism that acts in the same way as a spider web to trap and kill pathogens like influenza or SARS-CoV-2. This is what caused COVID-19.Researchers discovered that neutrophils, which are the most common white blood cells in the body, explode when they bind with pathogens covered in antibodies. This releases DNA from the cell and creates a sticky tangle, which acts as a trap.These findings were published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. They are important because we don't know much about the mechanism by which antibodies can neutralize viruses in the respiratory system.This discovery could have implications for vaccine delivery and design, including nasal spray and aerosol technologies that could prevent infections from ever taking hold."Vaccines may produce antibodies in our lungs that can be used to fight viruses like flu and COVID-19," Matthew Miller, associate professor at McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote institute for infectious disease research and Canada's Global Nexus for Pandemics, says. "Mechanisms that stop the infection from reaching our bodies can prevent its spread and other serious complications."Injectable vaccines, on the other hand, are intended to boost antibodies in the blood but are less common at the site where infection starts."Next generation COVID-19 vaccines could be administered to the respiratory tract to stimulate antibody production. We should be looking into this." There are not many candidates that focus on increasing the mucosal response right now," states Hannah Stacey, a graduate candidate in the Miller Lab who was the lead author of the paper. She recently received a major national scholarship from The Canadian Society for Virology for COVID-19 research.She says that injections are the best option if you need a lot of antibodies. However, sprays or aerosols are more practical if you need antibodies that are rich in blood.Researchers warn that although the body's web-web mechanism can be very beneficial, it can also cause inflammation and other illnesses if the web formation is not controlled.These NETs were present in the first waves of the pandemic before vaccinations. They had been found in the lungs of some patients and made breathing more difficult.Miller says, "An immune reaction that is supposed to protect you could end up hurting you if you don't control it." It is important to understand how the immune system works. These antibodies are most likely to be protective if you have many of them before you become infected. However, if you have too many of them, it could make you more susceptible to infection.###
