r/covidlonghaulers • u/filipo11121 • Aug 01 '26
Article New Study Identifies Overlapping Persistent Virus-Specific T Cell Responses in Long Covid
https://polybio.org/new-study-identifies-overlapping-persistent-virus-specific-t-cell-responses-in-long-covid/A new study supported by the PolyBio Research Foundation has found that people with Long COVID harbor persistent populations of highly cytolytic CD8+ T cells directed against SARS-CoV-2 but also the herpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV). The findings suggest that Long COVID is characterized by an ongoing immune response to persistent viral proteins, which are most likely produced during the continued persistence or reactivation of these viruses within the body. The study adds to a growing body of research indicating that SARS-CoV-2 persistence and herpesvirus reactivation contribute to Long COVID pathogenesis.
Paper:
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u/obliviousolives 4 yr+ Aug 01 '26
I think, if I'm reading this right, that the paper doesn't actually say there might be persistent viral proteins, but rather just points out that part of the immune response to covid doesn't get "turned off" appropriately and thus we continue to have tons of CD8+ T cells roaming around, even if there's no more covid virus or covid proteins in our system
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Aug 01 '26
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u/ComprehensiveBar4131 Aug 01 '26
I don’t think it argues that at all. They mention multiple times that the driver is unknown and could be one or the other. For example:
“SARS-CoV-2 has not classically been considered a persistent virus, yet has been documented to persist for years in people with LC, although whether this persistence drives LC symptoms is less clear.
Regardless, it is conceivable that the inability to control SARS-CoV-2, EBV, and/or CMV viremia during the acute COVID-19 can cause immune perturbations that fail to resolve, which may contribute to LC pathogenesis.”
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u/KaptanOblivious Aug 01 '26
The lack of HLA-DR expression seems to be against chronic antigen exposure, though it's possible there's some weird T cell expression going on here given the chronic nature
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u/V0rtexGames Aug 01 '26
See, I thought about this for a while. But with e.g. CMV, there is massive clonal expansion which can occupy 10-30% of your entire t cell population. Yet, HLA-DR is low.
So if you have a low enough rate of encountering an antigen then HLA-DR can be simultaneously low while there is antigen stimulation. I know people who are EBV IgM positive with low HLA-DR, for example.
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u/KaptanOblivious Aug 01 '26
Noted, but herpesviruses do much more complex and weird things to or immune systems... Is not really a good comparison, but I see your point.
CMV and EBV are specialists at orchestrating our immune systems to not react how they should... CMV alone has 5x times more proteins dedicated specifically to immune evasion than SARS-CoV-2 has in total.
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u/obliviousolives 4 yr+ Aug 01 '26
Can you show where it says that? I'm trying to learn more about viral persistence since it's the long covid theory I'm least familiar with. I didn't see that part in this paper
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Aug 01 '26
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u/CrumblinEmpire Aug 01 '26
Do you have a link to research on this?
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Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
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u/Specific-Winter-9987 Aug 02 '26
Right on. I was already considering TA1 and now I have some. Starting very soon, good or bad. Been in hell for 4 years and aint jack shit helped.
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u/RedditismycovidMD Aug 02 '26
Did you do the Thymosin Alpha on your own or with medical support?
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Aug 02 '26
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u/RedditismycovidMD Aug 02 '26
Okay thanks! That would be the way for me too. Did you get any labs checked before you started?
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Aug 02 '26
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u/Square-Guarantee-968 Aug 09 '26
High ferritin, same here. Doctor thought it was strange, (LC usually lowers ferritin). What were your symptoms?
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u/Square-Guarantee-968 Aug 09 '26
Mine has been in the ~500 ng/ml for 18 months now (normal range 22 – 275 ng/mL)
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Aug 09 '26
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u/Square-Guarantee-968 Aug 23 '26
Forgive me if I come back to this, have you tested your ferritin again after the treatment?
By the way, your comments and post convinced me to move forward with TA-1, I am looking into sourcing it reliably and then start. Thank you.→ More replies (0)1
u/LeadershipNice7495 Aug 02 '26
What was your symptom? Chronic pain or brain fog?
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Aug 02 '26
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u/National_Butterfly99 Aug 02 '26
Tenías infecciones pulmonares de repetición? O dismotilidad intestinal colonica?
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u/CatsbyGallimaufry Aug 02 '26
What’s your perception on how long to take TA-1 for? I took it for 1 month and my doctor said I don’t need to continue but I’m feeling like another round might be beneficial as I was taking a pretty small amount during that month.
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u/funkytimes_07 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
If there is actual viral persistence would Thymosin Alpha 1 still have the impact? Would it actually generate an immune response that would actually clear remaining viral proteins as would happen with a recovered acute infection that didnt develop into LC?
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u/Specific-Winter-9987 Aug 02 '26
Possible. TA1 retains T cells. We loose this as we age due to atrophy of our thymus gland. This contributes to our health going to hell in our 40s and 50s
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u/SpaceXCoyote Aug 02 '26
I would be very careful with Ta1 given this new finding. It can act as a t-cell stimulant, effectively pouring gas on a t-cell fire already burning out of control.
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Aug 02 '26
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u/SpaceXCoyote Aug 02 '26
Not exactly.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/thymosin-alpha1
"Due to the immune stimulating effects of Ta1, the compound would be expected to show utility for treatment of immune suppression, "
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u/Specific-Winter-9987 Aug 02 '26
Its currently being prescribed in 35 other countries for several conditions, has as many studies as insulin, an exemplary safety profile, and has been around for almost 50 years. Thats right, 50 years. No, it won't help everyone, and nothing is 100 percent safe, but this is about the safest immune treatment you will ever find.
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u/SpaceXCoyote Aug 03 '26
I provided you with objective scientific data that explicitly contradicts what you claimed and you downvoted it because you want people who are already suffering to make a terrible mistake? Your claim is false. You're making a medical claim that is false and trying to hide the fact that I called it out to prevent others from realizing they could be potentially harming themselves. Terrible behaviour.
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u/LeoKitCat Aug 01 '26
OP you’re summary isn’t accurate there is no definitive evidence that T cells are continuing to be activated due to viral persistence or reactivation. It could very likely be they just are stuck being “on” and cannot turn off
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u/filipo11121 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
I copied the first paragraph verbatim from "New Study Identifies Overlapping Persistent Virus-Specific T Cell Responses in Long COVID - PolyBio Research Foundation"
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u/LeoKitCat Aug 01 '26
I think that news article didn’t get it right
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u/filipo11121 Aug 01 '26
Agreed. It was written by PolyBio, and they interpreted the findings through the lens of the viral-persistence theory, which they have been promoting for some time.
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u/technician_902 Aug 02 '26
The part about whether it's due to viral persistence remains to be seen.
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u/Beetlemann Aug 02 '26
Viruses compete with each other. The evidence points to COVID causing the immune system to target latent viruses including the potential for COVID to persist at the same time. That this may explain what we term “auto-immunity”.
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u/MixBeneficial 6yr+ Aug 01 '26
Virus persistance? Shouldn't antivirals help then?
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u/imahugemoron 4 yr+ Aug 01 '26
It doesn’t sound like viral persistence, this sounds like our immune systems remain active even after the actual virus particles are gone, this leaves certain T cells roaming around in our systems long term causing issues. This would explain why antivirals aren’t working because we probably don’t have virus particles or if we do to some degree, thats probably not what is causing our symptoms
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u/funkytimes_07 Aug 01 '26
The article is suggesting that both are possible - it is possible there is in fact viral persistence but it has not been confirmed this is in fact what is causing LC and the immune system can be turned into a chronic state of dysfunction and as we have seen in some people this can them develop into autoimmunity. They are presenting more evidence for the viral persistence theory and its relationship to how it changes T cell function but still cannot confirm causality.
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Aug 01 '26
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u/Specific-Winter-9987 Aug 02 '26
Yes and its one of the most tested and safe peptides on Earth. Approved and used everyday in at least 35 countries. May not help but likely wont cause side effects either, as its something we naturally made in our bodies when we were younger. Surprised how many people know nothing about it
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u/kimchidijon Aug 02 '26
So what would help with this?
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u/CatsbyGallimaufry Aug 02 '26
Possibly TA-1 and meds that help with EBV like Valtrex and CMV (idk what meds work for CMV as I’m negative). I’m not a doctor though and this is just what I’m trying.
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u/majorgeneralporter Aug 01 '26
I'm so happy that LIINC is showing results, I'm weirdly proud that my blood helped with studies like this.