The month of October marks the beginning of upsurges of respiratory virusessuch as the flu, Covid or even respiratory syncytial virus (VRS). The latter, very contagious, generally results in a simple cold which heals in a few days.
However, it sometimes evolves into more serious respiratory pathologies like pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndromeand can even prove fatal. Infants and seniors are the populations most at risk.
RSV linked to killer cells
However, medicine still has difficulty understanding why and how some RSVs evolve into critical formsand others not. This is why researchers from Brigham and Boston Children’s Hospital (United States) looked into the question. In a study published on October 9 in the Science Translational Medicinethey examined the cases of 47 young patients.
Scientists have discovered a link between these severe forms and cells called “natural killer” (NK). These lymphocytes, naturally present in the human body, perform an immunological function. They are particularly capable of kill tumor cellsbut also other infected cells.
The study reveals that subjects with severe form of RSV have more NK cells in the respiratory tract. Conversely, their blood contains less. In addition, these cells appear altered, which prevents them from fulfilling their function and killing infected cells.
An encouraging step forward in understanding RSV
Concretely, this discovery allows scientists to understand two things. First, that the presence of NK cells in the respiratory tract contributes to develop a severe form of RSV. Secondly, this implies that the search for these cells at this location constitutes a marker for identify risky forms of RSV.
More research is needed to better understand the phenomenon and use this discovery for the prevention or treatment of severe forms of RSV. In the meantime, the High Authority of Health recommends that people over 75 years old and those over 65 suffering from chronic respiratory pathologiesto get vaccinated against this virus.
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