Remembrance of Germs Past
By Marc Hellerstein
How do our immune cells remember invaders for so long, and what could this ability mean for COVID-19 vaccines?
This Article From Issue
March-April 2021
Volume 109, Number 2
Page 98
Both our brains and our immune cells have the capacity for recollection of previous experiences. Memory, whether cognitive or of germs, involves two encounters: an original event that is perceived and coded, and then its future recollection. But the body’s ability to recall germs requires one more thing that is taken for granted by cognitive memory: The individual must survive to recall the event.
QUICK TAKE
- Devastating diseases from previous centuries that ravaged children and families are currently of little concern, largely because of vaccination practices.
- Tracking the fate of immune cells after an infection, either a mild form from vaccines or from natural encounters, can unveil the secrets of lifelong protection.
- Different immune cells contribute to immunity, and understanding their various roles is key when developing vaccines, which can target different systems.
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