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Professor of Immunology Tao Dong from the MRC Human Immunology Unit (MRC HIU) appeared on BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend to discuss her group’s coronavirus research.

Illustration of ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. © CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS

Professor Tao Dong is leading work investigating the immune response in cells from coronavirus infected patients who are doing well compared to those who are getting very sick, in collaboration with researchers in both China and the UK.

During a tour of the anti-tumour and viral T-cell response lab at the MRC HIU with BBC’s Mark Mardell, Tao explained how colleagues in China have been collecting patient samples. They are working together to find out what in the immune response is helpful in people who do well when exposed to the virus and what might be harmful.

On the episode, Nuffield Department of Medicine’s Professor of Vaccinology Sarah Gilbert also spoke about her group’s vaccine development efforts at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford.

Listen to the episode on the BBC website from 15:50 to hear more.