‘T’ Cell Immunity Test To Detect COVID-19 Exposure & Infection Developed By Indian Doctors

Bengaluru: Doctors here claim to have developed a new test to examine specific ‘T’ cell immunity for COVID-19. Said to be India’s first-ever test to assess specific ‘T’ cell immune responses to stimulation by SARS CoV-2 proteins, it could help to better triage patients and set a framework for a sensible vaccination programme, TimesNow quoted doctors as saying.

The doctors who jointly developed the test, said they are in the process of applying for a patent for this assay, the report added.

How does ‘T’ cell immunity work?

COVID-19 affects people in different ways (mild to severe) and immunity plays an important role in the body’s response to the infection. It is now understood that apart from antibody response, a strong ‘T’ cell response can help in giving protective immunity.

Antibody tests

“Antibody responses are not produced by all patients who contract COVID-19 and do not persist beyond 8 weeks in most people. The use of serological tests alone for screening will underestimate the number of people who have specific viral immunity. This test could complement serological surveys and provide a better picture of the prevalence of the disease and residual immunity,” said the report.

“We have devised a novel, simple, in-tube assay for the assessment of specific T cell immune responses to stimulation by SARS CoV-2 proteins. Traditional tests for T cell immunity require complex processing to separate different cells from blood samples and use technology that is not readily available. This test can be done with a small sample of whole blood. Our solution simplifies the testing process which can be done at smaller labs without specialised equipment. The blood doesn’t require any special treatment. The results can be obtained in 24 hours, by measuring chemicals called cytokines. A positive reading indicates good specific cellular immunity,” Dr Sonal Asthana and  Dr Vishnu Kurpad, two doctors involved in making the test were quoted as saying in a press release.