Sunday, August 01, 2021

The Ghost Was Right: Mucosal Immunity

 Way back in March of 2020, I told you about Oil of Oregano:

The researchers noted that this action is likely due to carvacrol, one of the main compounds in oregano oil. While carvacrol was more effective against certain viruses on its own, oregano oil was more effective against respiratory viruses, such as flu viruses.

Because your nasal passages and throat are your early defense mechanisms against airborne diseases:

Filtering prevents airborne bacteria, viruses, other potentially disease-causing substances from entering the lungs, where they may cause infection. Filtering also eliminates smog and dust particles, which may clog the narrow air passages in the smallest bronchioles.

I'm pretty sure most if not all people promptly ignored my suggestion. Well here's "The science"

The mucosal immune system is the largest component of the entire immune system, having evolved to provide protection at the main sites of infectious threat: the mucosae. As SARS-CoV-2 initially infects the upper respiratory tract, its first interactions with the immune system must occur predominantly at the respiratory mucosal surfaces, during both inductive and effector phases of the response. However, almost all studies of the immune response in COVID-19 have focused exclusively on serum antibodies and systemic cell-mediated immunity including innate responses. This article proposes that there is a significant role for mucosal immunity and for secretory as well as circulating IgA antibodies in COVID-19, and that it is important to elucidate this in order to comprehend especially the asymptomatic and mild states of the infection, which appear to account for the majority of cases. Moreover, it is possible that mucosal immunity can be exploited for beneficial diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic purposes.

Oh.

Most attention has been given to virus-neutralizing antibodies, especially circulating antibodies (1315). However, these can only be effective in the prevention of infection or disease if they reach the mucosal surfaces where the virus is present, and it should be noted that circulating IgA, even in polymeric form, is not effectively transported into secretions (16). 

Short story: The antibodies that those vaccines produce aren't much good when the virus is in the mucus.

"
The serious pathology of COVID-19 occurs in the terminal airways of the lungs, where circulating IgG is the dominant immunoglobulin. The resulting intense inflammation involves multiple molecular and cellular factors, including cells recruited by virus-induced chemo-attractants (17)."

Like we said: COVID is an inflammatory disease. The goal should be  to prevent the inflammatory response.


We contend that mucosal immunity has a major part to play in COVID-19, at several levels. Given that SARS-CoV-2 first infects mainly through the nasal passages, possibly through the eyes followed by drainage into the URT, also through the mouth, we would predict that the first immune responses should be revealed through the mucosal immune system, with the appearance of SIgA antibodies in URT secretions, and also in saliva and lacrimal fluid.

I told you this back in March of 2020. Just sayin'. 

Intranasal vaccines are already available against influenza and others are under development (30, 38). The advantages, in addition to needle-free administration, include the generation of both mucosal (SIgA) and circulating (IgG and IgA) antibodies, as well as T-cell responses. As discussed above, such responses might achieve desirable results not obtained with systemic immunization routes.
So it's not like they don't know about this part of the immune system. They just decided not to pursue it OR at a minimum tell you how to boost your ability to halt the infection at the throat. I'll be honest though, some dentists were discussing gargling, which is also effective, the extent I cannot comment on. But that message was not and is not widespread. There's not much money to be made selling people what they already buy. Oil of Oregano IS expensive though.

Anyway, just another example of how we skeptics have been right about a lot of things.