T-cells from common colds could help scientists make the "Holy Grail": A variant-proof COVID vaccine

London — T-cells generated as part of the body's natural immune response to the common cold may help protect against serious illness from COVID-19, according to a study carried out in the U.K.  Researchers at Imperial College London told CBS News the findings could help scientists create vaccines that remain more effective against new variants of the coronavirus.

The study, which was peer reviewed and published in the journal "Nature Communications," began in September 2020 and looked at 52 household contacts of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. It found that 26 people who were exposed to the coronavirus but did not get sick had significantly higher cross-reactive T-cells, generated by previous common colds, than those who did become ill with COVID.