Scientists have identified a type of immune cell in the lungs of
humans that may help fight respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The findings suggest nose sprays could be the most efficient way
of delivering a vaccine against the virus.
The researchers found that a type of immune cell, called a
resident memory T cell, is particularly active during RSV
infection. These immune cells help to identify invaders, raising
the alarm to the rest of the body and killing infected cells.
Although scientists already knew these cells help fight
influenza infections in mice, this is the first time they have been
shown to help protect against RSV in humans. The team also found
that individuals with naturally higher numbers of these cells were
less likely to suffer symptoms.
Dr Christopher Chiu, the lead author of the research from the
National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial, says the work
suggests current vaccine efforts should be directed toward nose
sprays.
"There are around 50 potential vaccines being investigated at
the moment, and a few of these will be delivered in nasal sprays.
Our work suggests a nasal vaccine will be more likely to reach
these immune cells, which are in the lungs, than injecting a
vaccine into the arm. The hope is that within the next five years
there will be a vaccine licensed for use to reduce the massive toll
of this infection."
RSV is transmitted through coughs and sneezes and may be
responsible for up to 10 per cent of winter GP visits from elderly
patients. It also infects every child before the age of two.
"The virus infects the airways and lungs, and in healthy people
can cause a heavy cold - the type that keeps you off work for a
couple of days. However, we are mainly concerned about how
dangerous it can be to the young and old, where it can cause lung
infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
"We've only had technology available over the last ten years to
widely and accurately diagnose the virus, and so didn't realise the
full extent of its prevalence. We now know it's the most common
cause of hospitalisation of babies - resulting in up to 200,000
baby deaths worldwide every year. And in the older population it's
almost as dangerous as flu. So far this year flu cases have been
relatively few, but there have already been lots of hospital
admissions with RSV."
Studies suggest the body's natural defences against the virus
are pretty weak, adds Dr Chiu. His team wanted to identify the
immune cells involved in this defence, to explore whether the
cell's powers can be boosted.
In their study the team infected 49 healthy volunteers with RSV
in closely monitored conditions. They kept the participants in
hospital for 10 days - studying them before and after
infection.
Just over half developed an infection - with most of the
infected group developing symptoms of a common cold. The team took
small tissue samples from the airways of the volunteers who
developed an infection, and analysed the immune cells.
The paper, RSV-specific airway resident memory CD8+ T cells
and differential disease severity after experimental human
infection, is published in Nature Communications.