Our immune system is critical to our survival. Without it, our bodies would be open to attack from any number of viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

This vast, complex network of tissues and cells spread throughout the body is constantly on the lookout for invaders, mounting a concerted attack as soon as an enemy is spotted. Unfortunately, our immune system weakens with age, leaving us vulnerable to a sea of pathogens and reducing our ability to respond effectively.

The question is: how do we keep our life-affirming immune system strong and healthy? How do we fight off these new and increasingly lethal viral enemies?

The answer? By fortifying and regenerating the cells that help make up our immune system.

How Our Immune System Works

Everyone’s immune system is different, given the number and amount of pathogens each individual may have been exposed to over time. But, as a general rule, the body’s immune system becomes stronger with each passing year, producing and replicating antibodies that allow the system to deal with any reappearance of a pathogen more quickly.

There are two primary types of immunity in humans: innate and adaptive.

Innate immune system:

This innate immune system is responsible for the initial detection and destruction of invasive pathogens, and includes the external barriers of our body — its first line of defense — such as the skin and mucous membranes of the throat and gut. But over our lifetime we also encounter more treacherous viruses that can get past our preliminary lines of defense. If one of these pathogens manages to dodge the innate immune system, our adaptive or acquired immunity kicks in.

Adaptive immune system:

The adaptive or acquired immune system eliminates infectious organisms and provides long-term protection against them. This defense against pathogens develops as we go through life. As we are exposed to diseases or get vaccinated, we build up a library of antibodies to different pathogens. This is sometimes referred to as immunological memory because our immune system remembers previous enemies.

The New Challenge: A Short-Circuited Immune System

The immune system is incredibly complicated and absolutely vital to our survival. A number of different systems and cell types throughout our body work to fight off pathogens and clear up dead cells in perfect synchronicity. Until they don’t. Until age takes its toll or a new virus rears its ugly head.

Nokomis’ previous work on the importance of cell regeneration and replacement, as a  natural part of the aging process, has now taken on new importance.

Emerging evidence has suggested that COVID-19 antibodies — proteins produced by the body’s immune system to fight infection and protect against future reinfection — may start waning in as little as two months, raising questions about how long immunity may last and whether or not a person can get re-infected.

But of more concern, according to investigators, is the loss of virus-fighting T cells in parts of the body. Many of these cells die, depleting the body’s reserves, or they start behaving abnormally and fail to adequately respond to the virus. Basically ‘short-circuiting’ the immune system.

The Nokomis’ Response

The production and longevity of T-cells and their offshoot, B-cells, play a critical role in the fight against the virus. We’re redirecting our research efforts to assess the value and sustainability of polyamines in bolstering the body’s T-cell immune system and protecting the body against future reinfection.

At Nokomis, we use zebrafish models to test and ensure the safety and efficacy of all products under development.

Zebra fish* have a similar genetic structure to humans; 84% of genes associated with human disease have a zebra fish counterpart. By using a unique breed in our state-of-the-art biotech labs, we’re able to test our medication and determine its efficacy. Within days, its effect on combatting the invasive disease will be seen.

*Animal welfare is of vital importance to us and all work is conducted under the supervision of veterinarians and under research license from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Canada.