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Yang Y, Miller H, Byazrova MG, Cndotti F, Benlagha K, Camara NOS, Shi J, Forsman H, Lee P, Yang L, Filatov A, Zhai Z, Liu C. The characterization of CD8 + T-cell responses in COVID-19. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2287118. [PMID: 37990907 PMCID: PMC10786432 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2287118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
This review gives an overview of the protective role of CD8+ T cells in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The cross-reactive responses intermediated by CD8+ T cells in unexposed cohorts are described. Additionally, the relevance of resident CD8+ T cells in the upper and lower airway during infection and CD8+ T-cell responses following vaccination are discussed, including recent worrisome breakthrough infections and variants of concerns (VOCs). Lastly, we explain the correlation between CD8+ T cells and COVID-19 severity. This review aids in a deeper comprehension of the association between CD8+ T cells and SARS-CoV-2 and broadens a vision for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanting Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
- Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Heather Miller
- Cytek Biosciences, R&D Clinical Reagents, Fremont, CA, USA
| | - Maria G. Byazrova
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fabio Cndotti
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kamel Benlagha
- Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara
- Laboratory of Human Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Junming Shi
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huamei Forsman
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pamela Lee
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Alexander Filatov
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow, Russia
| | - Zhimin Zhai
- Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Coulon PG, Prakash S, Dhanushkodi NR, Srivastava R, Zayou L, Tifrea DF, Edwards RA, Figueroa CJ, Schubl SD, Hsieh L, Nesburn AB, Kuppermann BD, Bahraoui E, Vahed H, Gil D, Jones TM, Ulmer JB, BenMohamed L. High frequencies of alpha common cold coronavirus/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive functional CD4 + and CD8 + memory T cells are associated with protection from symptomatic and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1343716. [PMID: 38605956 PMCID: PMC11007208 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1343716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are present in up to 50% of unexposed, pre-pandemic, healthy individuals (UPPHIs). However, the characteristics of cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells associated with subsequent protection of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (i.e., unvaccinated individuals who never develop any COVID-19 symptoms despite being infected with SARS-CoV-2) remains to be fully elucidated. Methods This study compares the antigen specificity, frequency, phenotype, and function of cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells between common cold coronaviruses (CCCs) and SARS-CoV-2. T-cell responses against genome-wide conserved epitopes were studied early in the disease course in a cohort of 147 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients who were divided into six groups based on the severity of their symptoms. Results Compared to severely ill COVID-19 patients and patients with fatal COVID-19 outcomes, the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients displayed significantly: (i) higher rates of co-infection with the 229E alpha species of CCCs (α-CCC-229E); (ii) higher frequencies of cross-reactive functional CD134+CD137+CD4+ and CD134+CD137+CD8+ T cells that cross-recognized conserved epitopes from α-CCCs and SARS-CoV-2 structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins; and (iii) lower frequencies of CCCs/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive exhausted PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD4+ and PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD8+ T cells, detected both ex vivo and in vitro. Conclusions These findings (i) support a crucial role of functional, poly-antigenic α-CCCs/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, induced following previous CCCs seasonal exposures, in protection against subsequent severe COVID-19 disease and (ii) provide critical insights into developing broadly protective, multi-antigen, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell-based, universal pan-Coronavirus vaccines capable of conferring cross-species protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Gregoire Coulon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Swayam Prakash
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Nisha R. Dhanushkodi
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ruchi Srivastava
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Latifa Zayou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Delia F. Tifrea
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Robert A. Edwards
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Cesar J. Figueroa
- Department of Surgery, Divisions of Trauma, Burns and Critical Care, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Sebastian D. Schubl
- Department of Surgery, Divisions of Trauma, Burns and Critical Care, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Lanny Hsieh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospitalist Program, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Anthony B. Nesburn
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Baruch D. Kuppermann
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | | | - Hawa Vahed
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daniel Gil
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Trevor M. Jones
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey B. Ulmer
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Lbachir BenMohamed
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Université Paul Sabatier, Infinity, Inserm, Toulouse, France
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Immunology, The University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
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3
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Shamabadi NS, Bagasra AB, Pawar S, Bagasra O. Potential use of endemic human coronaviruses to stimulate immunity against pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Libyan J Med 2023; 18:2209949. [PMID: 37186902 DOI: 10.1080/19932820.2023.2209949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans, there is a wide range of disease outcomes following virus exposures. Some individuals are asymptomatic while others develop complications within a few days after infection that can lead to fatalities in a smaller portion of the population. In the present study, we have analyzed the factors that may influence the outcome of post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. One factor that may influence virus control is pre-existing immunity conferred by an individual's past exposures to endemic coronaviruses (eCOVIDs) which cause the common cold in humans and generally, most children are exposed to one of the four eCOVIDs before 2 years of age. Here, we have carried out protein sequence analyses to show the amino acid homologies between the four eCOVIDs (i.e. OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63) as well as examining the cross-reactive immune responses between SARS-CoV-2 and eCOVIDs by epidemiologic analyses. Our results show that the nations where continuous exposures to eCOVIDs are very high due to religious and traditional causes showed significantly lower cases and low mortality rates per 100,000. We hypothesize that in the areas of the globe where Muslims are in majority and due to religious practices are regularly exposed to eCOVIDs they show a significantly lower infection, as well as mortality rate, and that is due to pre-existing cross-immunity against SARS-CoV-2. This is due to cross-reactive antibodies and T-cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigens. We also have reviewed the current literature that has also proposed that human infections with eCOVIDs impart protection against disease caused by subsequent exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We propose that a nasal spray vaccine consisting of selected genes of eCOVIDs would be beneficial against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anisah B Bagasra
- Department of Psychology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Shrikant Pawar
- Department of Computer Science and Biology, Claflin University, SC, USA
| | - Omar Bagasra
- South Carolina Center for Biotechnology, Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC, USA
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4
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Goswami A, Kumar M, Ullah S, Gore MM. De novo design of anti-variant COVID-19 vaccine. Biol Methods Protoc 2023; 8:bpad021. [PMID: 37854896 PMCID: PMC10580973 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the effectiveness of hybrid Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines combining wild-type nucleocapsid and Spike proteins. We have further enhanced this strategy by incorporating delta and omicron variants' spike protein mutations. Both delta and omicron mark the shifts in viral transmissibility and severity in unvaccinated and vaccinated patients. So their mutations are highly crucial for future viral variants also. Omicron is particularly adept at immune evasion by mutating spike epitopes. The rapid adaptations of Omicron and sub-variants to spike-based vaccines and simultaneous transmissibility underline the urgency for new vaccines in the continuous battle against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, we have added three persistent T-cell-stimulating nucleocapsid peptides similar to homologous sequences from seasonal Human Coronaviruses (HuCoV) and an envelope peptide that elicits a strong T-cell immune response. These peptides are clustered in the hybrid spike's cytoplasmic region with non-immunogenic linkers, enabling systematic arrangement. AlphaFold (Artificial intelligence-based model building) analysis suggests omitting the transmembrane domain enhances these cytoplasmic epitopes' folding efficiency which can ensure persistent immunity for CD4+ structural epitopes. Further molecular dynamics simulations validate the compact conformation of the modeled structures and a flexible C-terminus region. Overall, the structures show stability and less conformational fluctuation throughout the simulation. Also, the AlphaFold predicted structural epitopes maintained their folds during simulation to ensure the specificity of CD4+ T-cell response after vaccination. Our proposed approach may provide options for incorporating diverse anti-viral T-cell peptides, similar to HuCoV, into linker regions. This versatility can be promising to address outbreaks and challenges posed by various viruses for effective management in this era of innovative vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Goswami
- Kshamalab, Leo’s Research Services and Suppliers, Mysuru 570016, India
| | - Madan Kumar
- Department of Chemistry-BMC Biochemistry, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75237, Sweden
| | - Samee Ullah
- National Center for Bioinformatics (NCB), Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Milind M Gore
- 5/1B, Krutika Co-Op Housing Society, Kothrud, Pune 411039, India
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5
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Apú N, Madrigal-Redondo G, Vega MH, Corrales-Aguilar E, Segura-Ulate I. Development of an instrument-free and low-cost ELISA dot-blot test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Open Life Sci 2023; 18:20220577. [PMID: 37589006 PMCID: PMC10426726 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Most laboratory tests to detect the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies use enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) or chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA); however, equipment for these immunoassays is unavailable in many areas of low- and middle-income countries. Rapid lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) tests are an equipment-free option, but their high price may make them less suitable for conducting seroprevalence surveys. Here, we describe a simple dual antigen ELISA dot-blot test to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies with high sensitivity (94-98%) and specificity (92-100%), compared to commercially available ELISA and CLIA options. Additionally, this ELISA dot-blot test can be completed in one hour using minimal laboratory equipment. Importantly, this immunoassay is significantly more affordable than most LFIA tests available on the global market. The dot-blot strips may be stored for up to 7 days under freezing conditions. This ELISA dot-blot test is a cost-effective option for conducting seroprevalence screenings in areas lacking ELISA or CLIA facilities, compared to LFIA tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navilla Apú
- Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas (INIFAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Germán Madrigal-Redondo
- Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas (INIFAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - María Herrera Vega
- Facultad de Microbiología, Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar
- Facultad de Microbiología, Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Ismael Segura-Ulate
- Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas (INIFAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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6
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Becerra-Artiles A, Nanaware PP, Muneeruddin K, Weaver GC, Shaffer SA, Calvo-Calle JM, Stern LJ. Immunopeptidome profiling of human coronavirus OC43-infected cells identifies CD4 T-cell epitopes specific to seasonal coronaviruses or cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011032. [PMID: 37498934 PMCID: PMC10409285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal "common-cold" human coronaviruses are widely spread throughout the world and are mainly associated with mild upper respiratory tract infections. The emergence of highly pathogenic coronaviruses MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and most recently SARS-CoV-2 has prompted increased attention to coronavirus biology and immunopathology, but the T-cell response to seasonal coronaviruses remains largely uncharacterized. Here we report the repertoire of viral peptides that are naturally processed and presented upon infection of a model cell line with seasonal coronavirus OC43. We identified MHC-bound peptides derived from each of the viral structural proteins (spike, nucleoprotein, hemagglutinin-esterase, membrane, and envelope) as well as non-structural proteins nsp3, nsp5, nsp6, and nsp12. Eighty MHC-II bound peptides corresponding to 14 distinct OC43-derived epitopes were identified, including many at very high abundance within the overall MHC-II peptidome. Fewer and less abundant MHC-I bound OC43-derived peptides were observed, possibly due to MHC-I downregulation induced by OC43 infection. The MHC-II peptides elicited low-abundance recall T-cell responses in most donors tested. In vitro assays confirmed that the peptides were recognized by CD4+ T cells and identified the presenting HLA alleles. T-cell responses cross-reactive between OC43, SARS-CoV-2, and the other seasonal coronaviruses were confirmed in samples of peripheral blood and peptide-expanded T-cell lines. Among the validated epitopes, spike protein S903-917 presented by DPA1*01:03/DPB1*04:01 and S1085-1099 presented by DRB1*15:01 shared substantial homology to other human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and were targeted by cross-reactive CD4 T cells. Nucleoprotein N54-68 and hemagglutinin-esterase HE128-142 presented by DRB1*15:01 and HE259-273 presented by DPA1*01:03/DPB1*04:01 are immunodominant epitopes with low coronavirus homology that are not cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2. Overall, the set of naturally processed and presented OC43 epitopes comprise both OC43-specific and human coronavirus cross-reactive epitopes, which can be used to follow CD4 T-cell cross-reactivity after infection or vaccination, and to guide selection of epitopes for inclusion in pan-coronavirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniuska Becerra-Artiles
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Padma P. Nanaware
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Khaja Muneeruddin
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Grant C. Weaver
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Scott A. Shaffer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - J. Mauricio Calvo-Calle
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lawrence J. Stern
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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7
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Rodrigues-da-Silva RN, Conte FP, da Silva G, Carneiro-Alencar AL, Gomes PR, Kuriyama SN, Neto AAF, Lima-Junior JC. Identification of B-Cell Linear Epitopes in the Nucleocapsid (N) Protein B-Cell Linear Epitopes Conserved among the Main SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040923. [PMID: 37112903 PMCID: PMC10145278 DOI: 10.3390/v15040923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Nucleocapsid (N) protein is highlighted as the main target for COVID-19 diagnosis by antigen detection due to its abundance in circulation early during infection. However, the effects of the described mutations in the N protein epitopes and the efficacy of antigen testing across SARS-CoV-2 variants remain controversial and poorly understood. Here, we used immunoinformatics to identify five epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 N protein (N(34-48), N(89-104), N(185-197), N(277-287), and N(378-390)) and validate their reactivity against samples from COVID-19 convalescent patients. All identified epitopes are fully conserved in the main SARS-CoV-2 variants and highly conserved with SARS-CoV. Moreover, the epitopes N(185-197) and N(277-287) are highly conserved with MERS-CoV, while the epitopes N(34-48), N(89-104), N(277-287), and N(378-390) are lowly conserved with common cold coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1). These data are in accordance with the observed conservation of amino acids recognized by the antibodies 7R98, 7N0R, and 7CR5, which are conserved in the SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV but lowly conserved in common cold coronaviruses. Therefore, we support the antigen tests as a scalable solution for the population-level diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, but we highlight the need to verify the cross-reactivity of these tests against the common cold coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo N Rodrigues-da-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunological Technology, Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Fernando P Conte
- Eukaryotic Pilot Laboratory, Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Gustavo da Silva
- Laboratory of Immunological Technology, Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Ana L Carneiro-Alencar
- Laboratory of Immunological Technology, Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Paula R Gomes
- Getulio Vargas State Hospital, Rio de Janeiro 21070-061, Brazil
| | - Sergio N Kuriyama
- SENAI Innovation Institute for Green Chemistry, Rio de Janeiro 20271-030, Brazil
| | - Antonio A F Neto
- SENAI Innovation Institute for Green Chemistry, Rio de Janeiro 20271-030, Brazil
| | - Josué C Lima-Junior
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
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8
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Jin X, Liu X, Shen C. A systemic review of T-cell epitopes defined from the proteome of SARS-CoV-2. Virus Res 2023; 324:199024. [PMID: 36526016 PMCID: PMC9757803 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.199024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains in a global pandemic, and no eradicative therapy is currently available. Host T cells have been shown to play a crucial role in the antiviral immune protection and pathology in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients; thus, identifying sufficient T-cell epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome can contribute greatly to the development of T-cell epitope vaccines and the precise evaluation of host SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular immunity. This review presents a comprehensive map of T-cell epitopes functionally validated from SARS-CoV-2 antigens, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) supertypes to present these epitopes, and the strategies to screen and identify T-cell epitopes. To the best of our knowledge, a total of 1349 CD8+ T-cell epitopes and 790 CD4+ T-cell epitopes have been defined by functional experiments thus far, but most are presented by approximately twenty common HLA supertypes, such as HLA-A0201, A2402, B0702, DR15, DR7 and DR11 molecules, and 74-80% of the T-cell epitopes are derived from S protein and nonstructural protein. These data provide useful insight into the development of vaccines and specific T-cell detection systems. However, the currently defined T-cell epitope repertoire cannot cover the HLA polymorphism of major populations in an indicated geographic region. More research is needed to depict an overall landscape of T-cell epitopes, which covers the overall SARS-CoV-2 proteome and global patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Jin
- Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China 225002; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009
| | - Xiaotao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009
| | - Chuanlai Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009.
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Zsichla L, Müller V. Risk Factors of Severe COVID-19: A Review of Host, Viral and Environmental Factors. Viruses 2023; 15:175. [PMID: 36680215 PMCID: PMC9863423 DOI: 10.3390/v15010175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical course and outcome of COVID-19 are highly variable, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe disease and death. Understanding the risk factors of severe COVID-19 is relevant both in the clinical setting and at the epidemiological level. Here, we provide an overview of host, viral and environmental factors that have been shown or (in some cases) hypothesized to be associated with severe clinical outcomes. The factors considered in detail include the age and frailty, genetic polymorphisms, biological sex (and pregnancy), co- and superinfections, non-communicable comorbidities, immunological history, microbiota, and lifestyle of the patient; viral genetic variation and infecting dose; socioeconomic factors; and air pollution. For each category, we compile (sometimes conflicting) evidence for the association of the factor with COVID-19 outcomes (including the strength of the effect) and outline possible action mechanisms. We also discuss the complex interactions between the various risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente Zsichla
- Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Health Security, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Müller
- Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Health Security, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Qin J, Jeon JH, Xu J, Langston LK, Marasini R, Mou S, Montoya B, Melo-Silva CR, Jeon HJ, Zhu T, Sigal LJ, Xu R, Zhu H. Design and preclinical evaluation of a universal SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1126392. [PMID: 37033973 PMCID: PMC10076570 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1126392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of the rapid mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants is needed to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). T cells, in addition to neutralizing antibodies, are an important component of naturally acquired protective immunity, and a number of studies have shown that T cells induced by natural infection or vaccination contribute significantly to protection against several viral infections including SARS-CoV-2. However, it has never been tested whether a T cell-inducing vaccine can provide significant protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of preexisting antibodies. In this study, we designed and evaluated lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulated mRNA vaccines that induce only T cell responses or both T cell and neutralizing antibody responses by using two mRNAs. One mRNA encodes SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Spike protein in prefusion conformation for induction of neutralizing antibodies. The other mRNA encodes over one hundred T cell epitopes (multi-T cell epitope or MTE) derived from non-Spike but conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2. We show immunization with MTE mRNA alone protected mice from lethal challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant or a mouse-adapted virus MA30. Immunization with both mRNAs induced the best protection with the lowest viral titer in the lung. These results demonstrate that induction of T cell responses, in the absence of preexisting antibodies, is sufficient to confer protection against severe disease, and that a vaccine containing mRNAs encoding both the Spike and MTE could be further developed as a universal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Qin
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ju Hyeong Jeon
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jiangsheng Xu
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Laura Katherine Langston
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ramesh Marasini
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Stephanie Mou
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brian Montoya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Carolina R. Melo-Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Hyo Jin Jeon
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tianyi Zhu
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
- Greenbrier High School, Evans, GA, United States
| | - Luis J. Sigal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Renhuan Xu
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Huabin Zhu, ; Renhuan Xu,
| | - Huabin Zhu
- Research and Development Department, Advanced RNA Vaccine Technologies, Inc., North Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Huabin Zhu, ; Renhuan Xu,
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11
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Becerra-Artiles A, Nanaware PP, Muneeruddin K, Weaver GC, Shaffer SA, Calvo-Calle JM, Stern LJ. Immunopeptidome profiling of human coronavirus OC43-infected cells identifies CD4 T cell epitopes specific to seasonal coronaviruses or cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.12.01.518643. [PMID: 36482973 PMCID: PMC9727760 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.01.518643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal "common-cold" human coronaviruses are widely spread throughout the world and are mainly associated with mild upper respiratory tract infections. The emergence of highly pathogenic coronaviruses MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and most recently SARS-CoV-2 has prompted increased attention to coronavirus biology and immunopathology, but identification and characterization of the T cell response to seasonal human coronaviruses remain largely uncharacterized. Here we report the repertoire of viral peptides that are naturally processed and presented upon infection of a model cell line with seasonal human coronavirus OC43. We identified MHC-I and MHC-II bound peptides derived from the viral spike, nucleocapsid, hemagglutinin-esterase, 3C-like proteinase, and envelope proteins. Only three MHC-I bound OC43-derived peptides were observed, possibly due to the potent MHC-I downregulation induced by OC43 infection. By contrast, 80 MHC-II bound peptides corresponding to 14 distinct OC43-derived epitopes were identified, including many at very high abundance within the overall MHC-II peptidome. These peptides elicited low-abundance recall T cell responses in most donors tested. In vitro assays confirmed that the peptides were recognized by CD4+ T cells and identified the presenting HLA alleles. T cell responses cross-reactive between OC43, SARS-CoV-2, and the other seasonal coronaviruses were confirmed in samples of peripheral blood and peptide-expanded T cell lines. Among the validated epitopes, S 903-917 presented by DPA1*01:03/DPB1*04:01 and S 1085-1099 presented by DRB1*15:01 shared substantial homology to other human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and were targeted by cross-reactive CD4 T cells. N 54-68 and HE 128-142 presented by DRB1*15:01 and HE 259-273 presented by DPA1*01:03/DPB1*04:01 are immunodominant epitopes with low coronavirus homology that are not cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2. Overall, the set of naturally processed and presented OC43 epitopes comprise both OC43-specific and human coronavirus cross-reactive epitopes, which can be used to follow T cell cross-reactivity after infection or vaccination and could aid in the selection of epitopes for inclusion in pan-coronavirus vaccines. Author Summary There is much current interest in cellular immune responses to seasonal common-cold coronaviruses because of their possible role in mediating protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection or pathology. However, identification of relevant T cell epitopes and systematic studies of the T cell responses responding to these viruses are scarce. We conducted a study to identify naturally processed and presented MHC-I and MHC-II epitopes from human cells infected with the seasonal coronavirus HCoV-OC43, and to characterize the T cell responses associated with these epitopes. We found epitopes specific to the seasonal coronaviruses, as well as epitopes cross-reactive between HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2. These epitopes should be useful in following immune responses to seasonal coronaviruses and identifying their roles in COVID-19 vaccination, infection, and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniuska Becerra-Artiles
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Padma P. Nanaware
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Khaja Muneeruddin
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury MA
| | - Grant C. Weaver
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Scott A. Shaffer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury MA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - J. Mauricio Calvo-Calle
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Lawrence J. Stern
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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12
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Sedegah M, Porter C, Goguet E, Ganeshan H, Belmonte M, Huang J, Belmonte A, Inoue S, Acheampong N, Malloy AMW, Hollis-Perry M, Jackson-Thompson B, Ramsey KF, Alcorta Y, Maiolatesi SE, Wang G, Reyes AE, Illinik L, Sanchez-Edwards M, Burgess TH, Broder CC, Laing ED, Pollett SD, Villasante E, Mitre E, Hollingdale MR. Cellular interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 responses to SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins are broader and higher in those vaccinated after SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to vaccinees without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276241. [PMID: 36251675 PMCID: PMC9576055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Class I- and Class II-restricted epitopes have been identified across the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteome. Vaccine-induced and post-infection SARS-CoV-2 T-cell responses are associated with COVID-19 recovery and protection, but the precise role of T-cell responses remains unclear, and how post-infection vaccination ('hybrid immunity') further augments this immunity To accomplish these goals, we studied healthy adult healthcare workers who were (a) uninfected and unvaccinated (n = 12), (b) uninfected and vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine (2 doses n = 177, one dose n = 1) or Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine (one dose, n = 1), and (c) previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and vaccinated (BNT162b2, two doses, n = 6, one dose n = 1; mRNA-1273 two doses, n = 1). Infection status was determined by repeated PCR testing of participants. We used FluoroSpot Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and Interleukin-2 (IL-2) assays, using subpools of 15-mer peptides covering the S (10 subpools), N (4 subpools) and M (2 subpools) proteins. Responses were expressed as frequencies (percent positive responders) and magnitudes (spot forming cells/106 cytokine-producing peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]). Almost all vaccinated participants with no prior infection exhibited IFN-γ, IL-2 and IFN-γ+IL2 responses to S glycoprotein subpools (89%, 93% and 27%, respectively) mainly directed to the S2 subunit and were more robust than responses to the N or M subpools. However, in previously infected and vaccinated participants IFN-γ, IL-2 and IFN-γ+IL2 responses to S subpools (100%, 100%, 88%) were substantially higher than vaccinated participants with no prior infection and were broader and directed against nine of the 10 S glycoprotein subpools spanning the S1 and S2 subunits, and all the N and M subpools. 50% of uninfected and unvaccinated individuals had IFN-γ but not IL2 or IFN-γ+IL2 responses against one S and one M subpools that were not increased after vaccination of uninfected or SARS-CoV-2-infected participants. Summed IFN-γ, IL-2, and IFN-γ+IL2 responses to S correlated with IgG responses to the S glycoprotein. These studies demonstrated that vaccinations with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 results in T cell-specific responses primarily against epitopes in the S2 subunit of the S glycoprotein, and that individuals that are vaccinated after SARS-CoV-2 infection develop broader and greater T cell responses to S1 and S2 subunits as well as the N and M proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Sedegah
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Chad Porter
- Translational Clinical Research Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Emilie Goguet
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Harini Ganeshan
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Maria Belmonte
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Jun Huang
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Arnel Belmonte
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
| | - Sandra Inoue
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
| | - Neda Acheampong
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
| | - Allison M. W. Malloy
- Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Monique Hollis-Perry
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Belinda Jackson-Thompson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Kathy F. Ramsey
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Yolanda Alcorta
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Santina E. Maiolatesi
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Gregory Wang
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Anatolio E. Reyes
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
- Clinical Trials Center, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Luca Illinik
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Margaret Sanchez-Edwards
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Timothy H. Burgess
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Christopher C. Broder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Eric D. Laing
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Simon D. Pollett
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Eileen Villasante
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Edward Mitre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Michael R. Hollingdale
- Agile Vaccines and Therapeutics, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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13
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Longitudinal Assessment of SARS-CoV-2-Specific T Cell Cytokine-Producing Responses for 1 Year Reveals Persistence of Multicytokine Proliferative Responses, with Greater Immunity Associated with Disease Severity. J Virol 2022; 96:e0050922. [PMID: 35699447 PMCID: PMC9278147 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00509-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity is critical for long-term protection against most viral infections, including coronaviruses. We studied 23 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected survivors over a 1-year post-symptom onset (PSO) interval by ex vivo cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISpot) assay. All subjects demonstrated SARS-CoV-2-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin 2 (IL-2), and granzyme B (GzmB) T cell responses at presentation, with greater frequencies in severe disease. Cytokines, mainly produced by CD4+ T cells, targeted all structural proteins (nucleocapsid, membrane, and spike) except envelope, with GzmB and IL-2 greater than IFN-γ. Mathematical modeling predicted that (i) cytokine responses peaked at 6 days for IFN-γ, 36 days for IL-2, and 7 days for GzmB, (ii) severe illness was associated with reduced IFN-γ and GzmB but increased IL-2 production rates, and (iii) males displayed greater production of IFN-γ, whereas females produced more GzmB. Ex vivo responses declined over time, with persistence of IL-2 in 86% and of IFN-γ and GzmB in 70% of subjects at a median of 336 days PSO. The average half-life of SARS-CoV-2-specific cytokine-producing cells was modeled to be 139 days (~4.6 months). Potent T cell proliferative responses persisted throughout observation, were CD4 dominant, and were capable of producing all 3 cytokines. Several immunodominant CD4 and CD8 epitopes identified in this study were shared by seasonal coronaviruses or SARS-CoV-1 in the nucleocapsid and membrane regions. Both SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones were able to kill target cells, though CD8 tended to be more potent. IMPORTANCE Our findings highlight the relative importance of SARS-CoV-2-specific GzmB-producing T cell responses in SARS-CoV-2 control and shared CD4 and CD8 immunodominant epitopes in seasonal coronaviruses or SARS-CoV-1, and they indicate robust persistence of T cell memory at least 1 year after infection. Our findings should inform future strategies to induce T cell vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.
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14
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Jing L, Wu X, Krist MP, Hsiang TY, Campbell VL, McClurkan CL, Favors SM, Hemingway LA, Godornes C, Tong DQ, Selke S, LeClair AC, Pyo CW, Geraghty DE, Laing KJ, Wald A, Gale M, Koelle DM. T cell response to intact SARS-CoV-2 includes coronavirus cross-reactive and variant-specific components. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e158126. [PMID: 35133988 PMCID: PMC8986086 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.158126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 provokes a robust T cell response. Peptide-based studies exclude antigen processing and presentation biology, which may influence T cell detection studies. To focus on responses to whole virus and complex antigens, we used intact SARS-CoV-2 and full-length proteins with DCs to activate CD8 and CD4 T cells from convalescent people. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing showed partial repertoire preservation after expansion. Resultant CD8 T cells recognize SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory tract cells, and CD4 T cells detect inactivated whole viral antigen. Specificity scans with proteome-covering protein/peptide arrays show that CD8 T cells are oligospecific per subject and that CD4 T cell breadth is higher. Some CD4 T cell lines enriched using SARS-CoV-2 cross-recognize whole seasonal coronavirus (sCoV) antigens, with protein, peptide, and HLA restriction validation. Conversely, recognition of some epitopes is eliminated for SARS-CoV-2 variants, including spike (S) epitopes in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variant lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stacy Selke
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Chu-Woo Pyo
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Daniel E. Geraghty
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Anna Wald
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael Gale
- Department of Immunology, and
- Center for Innate Immunity of Immune Disease, Department of Immunology, and
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David M. Koelle
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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15
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Jing L, Wu X, Krist MP, Hsiang TY, Campbell VL, McClurkan CL, Favors SM, Hemingway LA, Godornes C, Tong DQ, Selke S, LeClair AC, Pyo CW, Geraghty DE, Laing KJ, Wald A, Gale M, Koelle DM. T cell response to intact SARS-CoV-2 includes coronavirus cross-reactive and variant-specific components. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.01.23.22269497. [PMID: 35118477 PMCID: PMC8811910 DOI: 10.1101/2022.01.23.22269497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 provokes a brisk T cell response. Peptide-based studies exclude antigen processing and presentation biology and may influence T cell detection studies. To focus on responses to whole virus and complex antigens, we used intact SARS-CoV-2 and full-length proteins with DC to activate CD8 and CD4 T cells from convalescent persons. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing showed partial repertoire preservation after expansion. Resultant CD8 T cells recognize SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory cells, and CD4 T cells detect inactivated whole viral antigen. Specificity scans with proteome-covering protein/peptide arrays show that CD8 T cells are oligospecific per subject and that CD4 T cell breadth is higher. Some CD4 T cell lines enriched using SARS-CoV-2 cross-recognize whole seasonal coronavirus (sCoV) antigens, with protein, peptide, and HLA restriction validation. Conversely, recognition of some epitopes is eliminated for SARS-CoV-2 variants, including spike (S) epitopes in the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variant lineages.
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16
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Piadel K, Haybatollahi A, Dalgleish AG, Smith PL. Selection and T-cell antigenicity of synthetic long peptides derived from SARS-CoV-2. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 35014605 PMCID: PMC8895615 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to the successful development of effective vaccines however the prospect of variants of SARS-CoV-2 and future coronavirus outbreaks necessitates the investigation of other vaccine strategies capable of broadening vaccine mediated T-cell responses and potentially providing cross-immunity. In this study the SARS-CoV-2 proteome was assessed for clusters of immunogenic epitopes restricted to diverse human leucocyte antigen. These regions were then assessed for their conservation amongst other coronaviruses representative of different alpha and beta coronavirus genera. Sixteen highly conserved peptides containing numerous HLA class I and II restricted epitopes were synthesized from these regions and assessed in vitro for their antigenicity against T-cells from individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Monocyte derived dendritic cells were generated from these peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), loaded with SARS-CoV-2 peptides, and used to induce autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation. The SARS-CoV-2 peptides demonstrated antigenicity against the T-cells from individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection indicating that this approach holds promise as a method to activate anti-SAR-CoV-2 T-cell responses from conserved regions of the virus which are not included in vaccines utilising the Spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Piadel
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St Georges University of London, London UK
| | - Amin Haybatollahi
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St Georges University of London, London UK
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17
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Kim JY, Bae S, Park S, Kwon JS, Lim SY, Park JY, Cha HH, Seo MH, Lee HJ, Lee N, Heo J, Shum D, Jee Y, Kim SH. Comparison of Antibody and T Cell Responses Induced by Single Doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 Vaccines. Immune Netw 2021; 21:e29. [PMID: 34522442 PMCID: PMC8410992 DOI: 10.4110/in.2021.21.e29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
There are limited data directly comparing humoral and T cell responses to the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 vaccines. We compared Ab and T cell responses after first doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vs. BNT162b2 vaccines. We enrolled healthcare workers who received ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or BNT162b2 vaccine in Seoul, Korea. Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) S1 protein-specific IgG Abs (S1-IgG), neutralizing Abs (NT Abs), and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response were evaluated before vaccination and at 1-wk intervals for 3 wks after vaccination. A total of 76 persons, comprising 40 injected with the ChAdOx1 vaccine and 36 injected with the BNT162b2 vaccine, participated in this study. At 3 wks after vaccination, the mean levels (±SD) of S1-IgG and NT Abs in the BNT162b2 participants were significantly higher than in the ChAdOx1 participants (S1-IgG, 14.03±7.20 vs. 6.28±8.87, p<0.0001; NT Ab, 183.1±155.6 vs. 116.6±116.2, p=0.035), respectively. However, the mean values of the T cell responses in the 2 groups were comparable after 2 wks. The humoral immune response after the 1st dose of BNT162b2 developed faster and was stronger than after the 1st dose of ChAdOx1. However, the T cell responses to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 were similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Yeun Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Seongman Bae
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Soonju Park
- Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Ji-Soo Kwon
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - So Yun Lim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Ji Young Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Hye Hee Cha
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Mi Hyun Seo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Nakyung Lee
- Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | | | - David Shum
- Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | | | - Sung-Han Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
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