Imprinting of serum neutralizing antibodies by Wuhan-1 mRNA vaccines. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38749479/)

These scientists wanted to understand how our immune system responds to different versions of the COVID-19 vaccine. They studied both mice and humans who received different combinations of vaccines to see how their bodies reacted.

In their study, they found that when mice were given the original COVID-19 vaccine followed by a new version of the vaccine, their immune response was influenced by the first vaccine they received. This is called immune imprinting. If the mice were given two doses of the original vaccine followed by the new version, their immune response was more influenced by the first vaccine. However, giving a second booster of the new vaccine helped to balance out this effect.

In humans who had received two doses of the original vaccine followed by two doses of the new vaccine, their antibodies were able to recognize not only the new variant but also other similar viruses. This is because the immune response was shaped by the original vaccine, leading to a broader protection against different viruses.

Overall, the study showed that our immune response to new vaccines is influenced by the vaccines we received in the past. This can actually be a good thing because it helps our bodies create antibodies that can fight off different versions of the virus, not just the one in the vaccine.

Liang CY., Raju S., Liu Z., Li Y., Asthagiri Arunkumar G., Case JB., Scheaffer SM., Zost SJ., Acreman CM., Gagne M., Andrew SF., Carvalho Dos Anjos DC., Foulds KE., McLellan JS., Crowe JE Jr., Douek DC., Whelan SPJ., Elbashir SM., Edwards DK., Diamond MS. Imprinting of serum neutralizing antibodies by Wuhan-1 mRNA vaccines. Nature. 2024 May 15. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07539-1.