2023-11-18 20:26:00
New Study Reveals Why Viruses Are More Successful in Spreading During Winter
As temperatures drop in winter, many people find themselves battling coughs, runny noses, and respiratory infections. These symptoms are often caused by viruses that circulate throughout the year, so why are they more successfully spread during the winter months? A recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology aimed to answer this question by investigating the immune response of the nose at low temperatures.
The researchers examined how the body protects itself from viruses that cause colds, as most pathogens enter the body through the nose. In a previous study, the team had already investigated how the immune system in the nose reacts to bacterial pathogens. They found that when bacteria invade the nasal mucosa, the cells form extracellular vesicles (EV) that surround the pathogens and render them harmless, providing protection for the respiratory tract.
In the new study, the researchers examined the reaction of nasal tissue samples to three different types of viruses that cause colds: coronavirus and two rhinoviruses. They observed that the immune reaction to viruses is triggered differently than with bacteria, and the EV produced in response to viruses are different. These EV contain specific receptors to which the viruses dock, intercepting them.
To understand the influence of winter on the immune response, the researchers subjected test subjects to 4 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes to simulate the cold weather. They found that the cooled nasal mucosa cells released almost 42 percent fewer vesicles than at a warmer ambient temperature, indicating that the immune reaction was significantly weakened by the temperature difference.
This study provides a new approach to understanding the higher rates of colds and respiratory infections in winter. The findings suggest that the reduced immune response in the nasal mucosa at lower temperatures could be a contributing factor to the increased spread of viruses during the winter months.
The research team’s discoveries shed light on why viruses are more successful in spreading during winter and provide valuable insights into how the immune system responds to respiratory infections in different environmental conditions. Further research in this area could lead to the development of new strategies for preventing and treating winter respiratory infections.]
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