Scientists Pinpoint Immune Cell Dysfunction Behind Long COVID
For the first time, scientists have traced the malfunctioning behaviour of a key immune cell to Long COVID symptoms. The breakthrough shines a light on why sufferers endure crippling breathlessness and fatigue long after the virus has left their bodies.
Monocytes Go Rogue in Long COVID
Monocytes, immune cells born in the bone marrow, usually cruise through the bloodstream to the lungs, where they attack viruses and rally the immune system. But University of Manchester researchers found these cells act strangely in Long COVID cases.
They discovered that abnormal monocyte movement is closely tied to the most common Long COVID complaint — shortness of breath. Different migration patterns and altered functions of these cells also link directly to persistent fatigue.
These unique “monocyte signatures” separate Long COVID sufferers into subgroups and reveal new drug targets for desperately needed treatments.
The Groundbreaking Study
- Published in the European Respiratory Journal
- Involved 71 hospitalised COVID-19 patients and 142 follow-ups
- Samples taken over months after discharge across two Manchester NHS trusts
- Monocyte behaviour tracked up to nine months post-hospitalisation
- Patients categorised by disease severity and oxygen needs
- Blood from healthy frontline workers used as controls
- Symptom questionnaires identified breathlessness and fatigue linked to monocyte profiles
Who Backed the Research?
- Wellcome Trust
- Royal Society
- Medical Research Council
- Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research
- Lister Institute
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- UK Research and Innovation
Experts Comment on the Discovery
Dr Elizabeth Mann, a Sir Henry Dale Fellow at the University of Manchester, said:
“Long COVID remains a global health crisis, with symptoms like extreme fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog and lung damage lingering for months or even years. Unfortunately, treatments are scarce because we don’t fully understand the immune causes.”
“Our finding of a clear link between monocyte dysfunction and specific Long COVID symptoms offers hope. It’s a crucial first step towards developing targeted therapies to help sufferers.”
