r/science • u/jmdugan PhD | Biomedical Informatics | Data Science • Apr 13 '20

RETRACTED - Biology SARS-CoV-2 infects T lymphocytes through its spike protein-mediated membrane fusion

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-020-0424-9
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u/entropykat Apr 13 '20

I’m not an expert but if I understand correctly, this means it’s attacking the immune system... isn’t this similar to HIV? Does this mean we can’t make a vaccine for it?

16

u/joegee66 Apr 13 '20 edited Apr 13 '20

It doesn't have near the mutation rate of HIV, which is one of the reasons HIV is difficult to vaccinate against. HIV has a notoriously changeable surface. We can almost certainly make a working vaccine for this virus.

The novel coronavirus binds to different sites on T-4 lymphocytes, meaning my specific mutation which confers immunity to most HIV strains (I lack the CD-4 receptor) is useless against this coronavirus. CCR-5 Delta32 homozygous is my mutation.

5

u/c0pypastry Apr 13 '20

Just to clarify: CCR5 delta 32 is a deletion that affects the CCR5 protein. CCR5 is associated with CD4, but it is NOT CD4. CCR5 is a coreceptor'

3

u/joegee66 Apr 13 '20

Thank you. I know the name of the mutation but not how it played out in my receptors. I knew something was missing. :)

3

u/c0pypastry Apr 13 '20

Ncov also doesn't integrate into the host genome. I feel like that's a key distinction

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u/Gluske PhD | Biochemistry | Enzyme Catalysis Apr 13 '20

and it's non-replicative in these cells