Antibodies? Who needs them!

After decades of thinking that antibodies were required in order to have immunity against certain viruses, a new study has proved this incorrect.  Researchers have discovered that adaptive immunity is not always required in order to prevent virus from being lethal, but that the innate immunity can handle the viruses on its own.  Innate immunity is a first line of defense that relies on cells and mechanisms that provide non-specific immunity.  It was always believed that adaptive immunity, which includes antibody-producing B cells, played the more major role in the specific response to viral infections in mammals.  A team of researchers studied mice, infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), that had B cells that did not produce antibodies.  Unexpectedly, the mice were still able to survive, even without any adaptive mechanisms.  The scientists determined that the B cells "produced a chemical needed to maintain innate immune cells called macrophages.  The macrophages produced type I interferons, which were required to prevent fatal VSV invasion."  Researchers concluded that the B cells, although necessary, did not rely on any adaptive mechanisms to protect the host, rather linking directly with the innate immune system.

This new discovery is very interesting because it shows how biology is always evolving; concepts that were originally thought to be correct can always be shown to be incorrect.  This new discovery is very exciting because it could potentially lead to new methods of combatting diseases and viruses that do not rely on antibodies.  This could potentially help protect more people from lethal diseases and is something that should definitely be further researched.