COVID-19: A Mutation that Helps Alpha Variant Escape the Immune System

The Alpha variant of COVID-19 has gained specific "skills" to prevent the innate immune response during a transformation process. A study published in the journal Nature revealed that the new mutations in the Alpha variant "more effectively suppress innate immune responses in airway epithelial cells" compared to first-wave isolates. According to the report, Alpha, which was first identified in the UK in November 2020 and quickly spread worldwide, has "significantly increased" levels of proteins in "innate immunity antagonists." This means that Alpha has "learned" how to evade the body's first line of defense. It does so by blocking sensors in the airways that, under normal circumstances, "alert" the immune system to the presence of the virus and prompt it to produce antiviral proteins. Researchers note that this "more effective suppression of innate immunity" increases the likelihood of disease transmission and prolongs the duration of the illness. It would be interesting to see how other variants, such as Delta and Omicron, operate relatively within the lung systems, said co-author of the study, Dr. Lucy Thorne, according to Science Daily. Thorne added that a better understanding of the mechanisms different variants use to evade immune defenses "will teach us not only about the viruses themselves but also about human biology."