COVID-19 causes some patients’ immune systems to attack their own bodies, which may contribute to severe illness
MATTHEW WOODRUFF, Instructor, Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Emory University ACROSS the world, immunologists who retooled their labs to join the fight against SARS-CoV-2 are furiously trying to explain why some people get so sick while others recover unscathed. The pace is dizzying, but some clear trends have emerged. One area of focus has been the production of antibodies – powerful proteins capable of disabling and killing invading pathogens like viruses. Of great concern has been the sporadic identification of so-called autoreactive antibodies that, instead of targeting disease causing microbes, target the tissues of individuals suffering from severe cases of…