We wrote about immune sanctuaries preventing inflammation, in the context of COVID viral particles surviving there for years. We decided to take a detour to learn more about this. That’s because we wanted to share what we discovered. We also included a Wikipedia link if you would like to delve more into the science. There are places in our bodies able to tolerate the presence of foreign substances, without admitting white blood cells to attack them.
Where Are These Viral Sanctuaries in Our Bodies?
The viral sanctuaries tolerating foreign substances include the human eye, placenta, fetus, testicles, and central nervous system. These may be evolutionary adaptions protecting those vital structures from potentially damaging immune responses. For example, a protective inflammation in our brain or eye could disable that organ. While one that targets a fetus could lead to a miscarriage and destroy it.
Surgeons are learning to take advantage of these immune privileges preventing inflammation, for example during cornea and knee cartilage transplants. However our particular interest lies in their ability to shelter fragments of the Sars-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19, and contribute to lingering, post-infection symptoms.
How Immune Sanctuaries Preventing Inflammation Play Out
Immune sanctuaries in our bodies are able to tolerate foreign substances, by ignoring their normally-rejected stimuli. This active, as opposed to passive mechanism includes structures limiting the immune system’s ability to enter the site.
This phenomenon adds to our understanding how coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS re-emerge after long periods of dormancy. Research is also beginning to reveal that COVID also has hidden power to return and renew its assault.
If we once hoped COVID was an influenza that would go away, surely now this was flawed thinking. The epidemic appears deeper than we ever imagined. We must keep our defenses up, and manage the pandemic in the ways we know we ought. There surely can be no better way to do this.
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Preview Image: Lymphatic Highways in the Brain
