#Vaccine Q&A:
What is immunological memory? Will all pathogens generate immunological memory?

Response in
#scicomm #BiologyRules #VaccinesWork #ScienceIsFun

say you’re a new hire at a security firm.
To effectively neutralize a variety of dangerous situations, the firms trains you using simulations.
Upon 1st exposure, your reflexes/response are slow, but w/repeated exposure, you become faster & more effectiveyou’ve build memory

Our immune system develops memory in a similar fashion.
Our different immune cells (B cells, T cell, neutrophils, etc.) similar to newly hired security agent are naive & for the most part have only a non-specific idea of what a threat might look like.

When a pathogen enters the body for the 1st time, our immune system mounts a non-specific general response, buying time for a subgroup of immune cells (memory B & T cells) to do reconnaissance on the pathogen & learn more bout it.

Memory B & T cells have this really cool ability to rearrange their own genetic material such that they
remember what the new looks like
themselves can live a long time
help produce more B & T cells who can also recognize the new

Memory B & T cells are also great collaborators, constantly exchanging chemical signals with each other. This collaboration is an important part of forming immunological memory.

However, There are that don’t trigger both of these cells & therefore don’t lead to memory

#vaccines are created based on the very cool & helpful biology of our immune system!
What makes #vaccines great is that, unlike the real , the body doesn’t have to expand huge resources to fight them, b/c they behave like a simulator & can often generate better immunity