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Law JC, Watts TH. Considerations for Choosing T Cell Assays during a Pandemic. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:169-174. [PMID: 37399079 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The appropriate immunosurveillance tools are foundational for the creation of therapeutics, vaccines, and containment strategies when faced with outbreaks of novel pathogens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to rapidly assess immune memory following infection or vaccination. Although there have been attempts to standardize cellular assays more broadly, methods for measuring cell-mediated immunity remain variable across studies. Commonly used methods include ELISPOT, intracellular cytokine staining, activation-induced markers, cytokine secretion assays, and peptide-MHC tetramer staining. Although each assay offers unique and complementary information on the T cell response, there are challenges associated with standardizing these assays. The choice of assay can be driven by sample size, the need for high throughput, and the information sought. A combination of approaches may be optimal. This review describes the benefits and limitations of commonly used methods for assessing T cell immunity across SARS-CoV-2 studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn C Law
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tania H Watts
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Schmidt F, Abdesselem HB, Suhre K, Vaikath NN, Sohail MU, Al-Nesf M, Bensmail I, Mashod F, Sarwath H, Bernhardt J, Schaefer-Ramadan S, Tan TM, Morris PE, Schenck EJ, Price D, Mohamed-Ali V, Al-Maadheed M, Arredouani A, Decock J, Blackburn JM, Choi AMK, El-Agnaf OM. Auto-immunoproteomics analysis of COVID-19 ICU patients revealed increased levels of autoantibodies related to the male reproductive system. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1203723. [PMID: 37520825 PMCID: PMC10374950 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1203723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) manifests many clinical symptoms, including an exacerbated immune response and cytokine storm. Autoantibodies in COVID-19 may have severe prodromal effects that are poorly understood. The interaction between these autoantibodies and self-antigens can result in systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction. However, the role of autoantibodies in COVID-19 complications has yet to be fully understood. Methods: The current investigation screened two independent cohorts of 97 COVID-19 patients [discovery (Disc) cohort from Qatar (case = 49 vs. control = 48) and replication (Rep) cohort from New York (case = 48 vs. control = 28)] utilizing high-throughput KoRectly Expressed (KREX) Immunome protein-array technology. Total IgG autoantibody responses were evaluated against 1,318 correctly folded and full-length human proteins. Samples were randomly applied on the precoated microarray slides for 2 h. Cy3-labeled secondary antibodies were used to detect IgG autoantibody response. Slides were scanned at a fixed gain setting using the Agilent fluorescence microarray scanner, generating a 16-bit TIFF file. Group comparisons were performed using a linear model and Fisher's exact test. Differentially expressed proteins were used for KEGG and WIKIpathway annotation to determine pathways in which the proteins of interest were significantly over-represented. Results and conclusion: Autoantibody responses to 57 proteins were significantly altered in the COVID-19 Disc cohort compared to healthy controls (p ≤ 0.05). The Rep cohort had altered autoantibody responses against 26 proteins compared to non-COVID-19 ICU patients who served as controls. Both cohorts showed substantial similarities (r 2 = 0.73) and exhibited higher autoantibody responses to numerous transcription factors, immunomodulatory proteins, and human disease markers. Analysis of the combined cohorts revealed elevated autoantibody responses against SPANXN4, STK25, ATF4, PRKD2, and CHMP3 proteins in COVID-19 patients. The sequences for SPANXN4 and STK25 were cross-validated using sequence alignment tools. ELISA and Western blot further verified the autoantigen-autoantibody response of SPANXN4. SPANXN4 is essential for spermiogenesis and male fertility, which may predict a potential role for this protein in COVID-19-associated male reproductive tract complications, and warrants further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Schmidt
- Proteomics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Houari B. Abdesselem
- Proteomics Core Facility, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Qatar Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, QBRI, HBKU, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Karsten Suhre
- Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nishant N. Vaikath
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, QBRI, HBKU, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Maryam Al-Nesf
- Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Center of Metabolism and Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ilham Bensmail
- Proteomics Core Facility, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Qatar Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Fathima Mashod
- Proteomics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hina Sarwath
- Proteomics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Joerg Bernhardt
- Institute for Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Ti-Myen Tan
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Sengenics Corporation, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Priscilla E. Morris
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Sengenics Corporation, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Edward J. Schenck
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital—Weill Cornell Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Price
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital—Weill Cornell Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vidya Mohamed-Ali
- Center of Metabolism and Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammed Al-Maadheed
- Center of Metabolism and Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdelilah Arredouani
- Diabetes Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jonathan M. Blackburn
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Sengenics Corporation, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Augustine M. K. Choi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital—Weill Cornell Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Omar M. El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, QBRI, HBKU, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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153
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Abdelaziz MO, Raftery MJ, Weihs J, Bielawski O, Edel R, Köppke J, Vladimirova D, Adler JM, Firsching T, Voß A, Gruber AD, Hummel LV, Fernandez Munoz I, Müller-Marquardt F, Willimsky G, Elleboudy NS, Trimpert J, Schönrich G. Early protective effect of a ("pan") coronavirus vaccine (PanCoVac) in Roborovski dwarf hamsters after single-low dose intranasal administration. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1166765. [PMID: 37520530 PMCID: PMC10372429 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1166765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has highlighted the danger posed by human coronaviruses. Rapid emergence of immunoevasive variants and waning antiviral immunity decrease the effect of the currently available vaccines, which aim at induction of neutralizing antibodies. In contrast, T cells are marginally affected by antigen evolution although they represent the major mediators of virus control and vaccine protection against virus-induced disease. Materials and methods We generated a multi-epitope vaccine (PanCoVac) that encodes the conserved T cell epitopes from all structural proteins of coronaviruses. PanCoVac contains elements that facilitate efficient processing and presentation of PanCoVac-encoded T cell epitopes and can be uploaded to any available vaccine platform. For proof of principle, we cloned PanCoVac into a non-integrating lentivirus vector (NILV-PanCoVac). We chose Roborovski dwarf hamsters for a first step in evaluating PanCoVac in vivo. Unlike mice, they are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, Roborovski dwarf hamsters develop COVID-19-like disease after infection with SARS-CoV-2 enabling us to look at pathology and clinical symptoms. Results Using HLA-A*0201-restricted reporter T cells and U251 cells expressing a tagged version of PanCoVac, we confirmed in vitro that PanCoVac is processed and presented by HLA-A*0201. As mucosal immunity in the respiratory tract is crucial for protection against respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, we tested the protective effect of single-low dose of NILV-PanCoVac administered via the intranasal (i.n.) route in the Roborovski dwarf hamster model of COVID-19. After infection with ancestral SARS-CoV-2, animals immunized with a single-low dose of NILV-PanCoVac i.n. did not show symptoms and had significantly decreased viral loads in the lung tissue. This protective effect was observed in the early phase (2 days post infection) after challenge and was not dependent on neutralizing antibodies. Conclusion PanCoVac, a multi-epitope vaccine covering conserved T cell epitopes from all structural proteins of coronaviruses, might protect from severe disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and future pathogenic coronaviruses. The use of (HLA-) humanized animal models will allow for further efficacy studies of PanCoVac-based vaccines in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed O. Abdelaziz
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin J. Raftery
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Weihs
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olivia Bielawski
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Edel
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Köppke
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Julia M. Adler
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Theresa Firsching
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Voß
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Achim D. Gruber
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luca V. Hummel
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivan Fernandez Munoz
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Francesca Müller-Marquardt
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerald Willimsky
- Institute of Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nooran S. Elleboudy
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Jakob Trimpert
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Günther Schönrich
- Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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154
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Müller TR, Sekine T, Trubach D, Niessl J, Chen P, Bergman P, Blennow O, Hansson L, Mielke S, Nowak P, Vesterbacka J, Akber M, Olofsson A, Amaya Hernandez SP, Gao Y, Cai C, Söderdahl G, Smith CIE, Österborg A, Loré K, Sällberg Chen M, Ljungman P, Ljunggren HG, Karlsson AC, Saini SK, Aleman S, Buggert M. Additive effects of booster mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection on T cell immunity across immunocompromised states. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadg9452. [PMID: 37437015 PMCID: PMC7615622 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg9452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Suboptimal immunity to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination has frequently been observed in individuals with various immunodeficiencies. Given the increased antibody evasion properties of emerging SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, it is necessary to assess whether other components of adaptive immunity generate resilient and protective responses against infection. We assessed T cell responses in 279 individuals, covering five different immunodeficiencies and healthy controls, before and after booster mRNA vaccination, as well as after Omicron infection in a subset of patients. We observed robust and persistent Omicron-reactive T cell responses that increased markedly upon booster vaccination and correlated directly with antibody titers across all patient groups. Poor vaccination responsiveness in immunocompromised or elderly individuals was effectively counteracted by the administration of additional vaccine doses. Functionally, Omicron-reactive T cell responses exhibited a pronounced cytotoxic profile and signs of longevity, characterized by CD45RA+ effector memory subpopulations with stem cell-like properties and increased proliferative capacity. Regardless of underlying immunodeficiency, booster-vaccinated and Omicron-infected individuals appeared protected against severe disease and exhibited enhanced and diversified T cell responses against conserved and Omicron-specific epitopes. Our findings indicate that T cells retain the ability to generate highly functional responses against newly emerging variants, even after repeated antigen exposure and a robust immunological imprint from ancestral SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Müller
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Takuya Sekine
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Darya Trubach
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Julia Niessl
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Puran Chen
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Bergman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Immunology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ola Blennow
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Transplantation, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lotta Hansson
- Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephan Mielke
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cellular Therapy and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (CAST), Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Piotr Nowak
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden MIMS, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Jan Vesterbacka
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mira Akber
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Olofsson
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susana Patricia Amaya Hernandez
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Curtis Cai
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Söderdahl
- Department of Transplantation, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C. I. Edvard Smith
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cellular Therapy and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (CAST), Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Österborg
- Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Loré
- Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Per Ljungman
- Department of Cellular Therapy and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (CAST), Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Hematology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
| | - Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika C. Karlsson
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Karolinska University Laboratory, Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sunil Kumar Saini
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Soo Aleman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcus Buggert
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Tomkinson S, Triscott C, Schenk E, Foey A. The Potential of Probiotics as Ingestible Adjuvants and Immune Modulators for Antiviral Immunity and Management of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19. Pathogens 2023; 12:928. [PMID: 37513775 PMCID: PMC10384479 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotic bacteria are able to modulate general antiviral responsiveness, including barrier functionality and innate and adaptive immune responses. The COVID-19 pandemic, resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection, has created a need to control and treat this viral infection and its ensuing immunopathology with a variety of approaches; one such approach may involve the administration of probiotic bacteria. As with most viral infections, its pathological responses are not fully driven by the virus, but are significantly contributed to by the host's immune response to viral infection. The potential adoption of probiotics in the treatment of COVID-19 will have to appreciate the fine line between inducing antiviral immunity without over-provoking immune inflammatory responses resulting in host-derived immunopathological tissue damage. Additionally, the effect exerted on the immune system by SARS-CoV-2 evasion strategies will also have to be considered when developing a robust response to this virus. This review will introduce the immunopathology of COVID-19 and the immunomodulatory effects of probiotic strains, and through their effects on a range of respiratory pathogens (IAV, SARS-CoV, RSV), as well as SARS-CoV-2, will culminate in a focus on how these bacteria can potentially manipulate both infectivity and immune responsiveness via barrier functionality and both innate and adaptive immunity. In conclusion, the harnessing of induction and augmentation of antiviral immunity via probiotics may not only act as an ingestible adjuvant, boosting immune responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 infection at the level of barrier integrity and innate and adaptive immunity, but also act prophylactically to prevent infection and enhance protection afforded by current vaccine regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tomkinson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Cloe Triscott
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Emily Schenk
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Andrew Foey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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156
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Federico L, Tvedt THA, Gainullin M, Osen JR, Chaban V, Lund KP, Tietze L, Tran TT, Lund-Johansen F, Kared H, Lind A, Vaage JT, Stratford R, Tennøe S, Malone B, Clancy T, Myhre AEL, Gedde-Dahl T, Munthe LA. Robust spike-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses in SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients: a prospective, cohort study. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1210899. [PMID: 37503339 PMCID: PMC10369799 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1210899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor overall survival of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients who developed COVID-19 underlies the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Previous studies of vaccine efficacy have reported weak humoral responses but conflicting results on T cell immunity. Here, we have examined the relationship between humoral and T cell response in 48 HSCT recipients who received two doses of Moderna's mRNA-1273 or Pfizer/BioNTech's BNT162b2 vaccines. Nearly all HSCT patients had robust T cell immunity regardless of protective humoral responses, with 18/48 (37%, IQR 8.679-5601 BAU/mL) displaying protective IgG anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) levels (>2000 BAU/mL). Flow cytometry analysis of activation induced markers (AIMs) revealed that 90% and 74% of HSCT patients showed reactivity towards immunodominant spike peptides in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, respectively. The response rate increased to 90% for CD4+ T cells as well when we challenged the cells with a complete set of overlapping peptides spanning the entire spike protein. T cell response was detectable as early as 3 months after transplant, but only CD4+ T cell reactivity correlated with IgG anti-RBD level and time after transplantation. Boosting increased seroconversion rate, while only one patient developed COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. Our data suggest that HSCT recipients with poor serological responses were protected from severe COVID-19 by vaccine-induced T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Federico
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Murat Gainullin
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julie Røkke Osen
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Viktoriia Chaban
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrine Persgård Lund
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lisa Tietze
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- ImmunoLingo Convergence Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trung The Tran
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- ImmunoLingo Convergence Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fridtjof Lund-Johansen
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- ImmunoLingo Convergence Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hassen Kared
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Andreas Lind
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - John Torgils Vaage
- ImmunoLingo Convergence Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | | | - Anders Eivind Leren Myhre
- Department of Haematology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- ImmunoLingo Convergence Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ludvig André Munthe
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B Cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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157
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Ren JX, Gao Q, Zhou XC, Chen L, Guo W, Feng KY, Lu L, Huang T, Cai YD. Identification of Gene Markers Associated with COVID-19 Severity and Recovery in Different Immune Cell Subtypes. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:947. [PMID: 37508378 PMCID: PMC10376631 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
As COVID-19 develops, dynamic changes occur in the patient's immune system. Changes in molecular levels in different immune cells can reflect the course of COVID-19. This study aims to uncover the molecular characteristics of different immune cell subpopulations at different stages of COVID-19. We designed a machine learning workflow to analyze scRNA-seq data of three immune cell types (B, T, and myeloid cells) in four levels of COVID-19 severity/outcome. The datasets for three cell types included 403,700 B-cell, 634,595 T-cell, and 346,547 myeloid cell samples. Each cell subtype was divided into four groups, control, convalescence, progression mild/moderate, and progression severe/critical, and each immune cell contained 27,943 gene features. A feature analysis procedure was applied to the data of each cell type. Irrelevant features were first excluded according to their relevance to the target variable measured by mutual information. Then, four ranking algorithms (last absolute shrinkage and selection operator, light gradient boosting machine, Monte Carlo feature selection, and max-relevance and min-redundancy) were adopted to analyze the remaining features, resulting in four feature lists. These lists were fed into the incremental feature selection, incorporating three classification algorithms (decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, and random forest) to extract key gene features and construct classifiers with superior performance. The results confirmed that genes such as PFN1, RPS26, and FTH1 played important roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings provide a useful reference for the understanding of the ongoing effect of COVID-19 development on the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Xin Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Qian Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Xiao-Chao Zhou
- Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lei Chen
- College of Information Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM) & Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Kai-Yan Feng
- Department of Computer Science, Guangdong AIB Polytechnic College, Guangzhou 510507, China
| | - Lin Lu
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tao Huang
- Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yu-Dong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
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158
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Chadha R, Ds U, Phogat R, Alam S, Mathur N, Singh M, Kataria S, Sharma P, Singh P, Sarma S, Saxena R, Ganguly NK, Trehan N. Evaluation of T and B cell immunophenotyping and antibody response post Covid-19 vaccination. Indian J Med Microbiol 2023; 44:100372. [PMID: 37356831 PMCID: PMC10187542 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2023.100372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate T and B cell subsets and IgG antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2 post COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS A total of 50 healthy adults (18-60 years) receiving anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (COVISHIELD) were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from participants at 3 time points; just before vaccination (Visit 0, V0), just before booster dose (Visit 1, V1) and 6th month after 1st dose (Visit 2, V2). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation was done and evaluated for T and B cell subsets by Flow cytometry. Quantitative determination of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was done by Chemiluminescence immunoassay in all samples. Final data for all three visits was available for 37 participants who remained healthy. Ethics approval was obtained from Medanta Institution of Ethics Committee vide MICR No. 1290/2021 dated 24th May 2021. RESULTS Mean age of the participants was 34.6 ± 5.7 years (Range: 24-45 years). Highly significant improvement in SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels was observed after each visit {Mean IgG: (V0 v/s. V1: 133.8 ± 339.2AU/ml v/s. 434.5 ± 519.2AU/ml; p-value = 0.003) and V0 v/s. V2: 133.8 ± 339.2AU/ml v/s. 420.9 ± 394.2AU/ml; p-value = 0.002) Between visits 0 and 1, the mean value for CD4 Naïve T cells showed significant increase, while CD4 central memory (CM) T cells showed significant decrease. Between visits 0 and 2 the mean values for CD4 Naïve T cells, CD8 Naïve T cells and Pre germinal centre (Pre GC) B cells showed significant increase. During the same period the mean values for CD4CM, CD8 effector memory (EM) and CD8 CM T cells showed significant decrease. CONCLUSION It is concluded that both, humoral and cellular immunity, play an important role in maintaining immunity against COVID-19 infection, following COVISHIELD vaccination. Moreover, in subjects with normalisation of antibody levels post vaccination, persistence of T cell subsets may still offer some immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Chadha
- Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | | | | | - Sazid Alam
- Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | - Nitin Mathur
- Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | - Manish Singh
- Medanta Institute of Education and Research, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | | | - Pooja Sharma
- Medanta Institute of Education and Research, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | - Padam Singh
- Medanta Institute of Education and Research, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | - Smita Sarma
- Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
| | - Renu Saxena
- Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram, Haryana, India.
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159
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Bruno PM, Timms RT, Abdelfattah NS, Leng Y, Lelis FJN, Wesemann DR, Yu XG, Elledge SJ. High-throughput, targeted MHC class I immunopeptidomics using a functional genetics screening platform. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:980-992. [PMID: 36593401 PMCID: PMC10314971 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01566-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Identification of CD8+ T cell epitopes is critical for the development of immunotherapeutics. Existing methods for major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I) ligand discovery are time intensive, specialized and unable to interrogate specific proteins on a large scale. Here, we present EpiScan, which uses surface MHC class I levels as a readout for whether a genetically encoded peptide is an MHC class I ligand. Predetermined starting pools composed of >100,000 peptides can be designed using oligonucleotide synthesis, permitting large-scale MHC class I screening. We exploit this programmability of EpiScan to uncover an unappreciated role for cysteine that increases the number of predicted ligands by 9-21%, reveal affinity hierarchies by analysis of biased anchor peptide libraries and screen viral proteomes for MHC class I ligands. Using these data, we generate and iteratively refine peptide binding predictions to create EpiScan Predictor. EpiScan Predictor performs comparably to other state-of-the-art MHC class I peptide binding prediction algorithms without suffering from underrepresentation of cysteine-containing peptides. Thus, targeted immunopeptidomics using EpiScan will accelerate CD8+ T cell epitope discovery toward the goal of individual-specific immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Bruno
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Richard T Timms
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nouran S Abdelfattah
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Yumei Leng
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Felipe J N Lelis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Duane R Wesemann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen J Elledge
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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160
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Hocini H, Wiedemann A, Blengio F, Lefebvre C, Cervantes-Gonzalez M, Foucat E, Tisserand P, Surenaud M, Coléon S, Prague M, Guillaumat L, Krief C, Fenwick C, Laouénan C, Bouadma L, Ghosn J, Pantaleo G, Thiébaut R, Lévy Y. Neutrophil Activation and Immune Thrombosis Profiles Persist in Convalescent COVID-19. J Clin Immunol 2023; 43:882-893. [PMID: 36943669 PMCID: PMC10029801 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01459-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Following a severe COVID-19 infection, a proportion of individuals develop prolonged symptoms. We investigated the immunological dysfunction that underlies the persistence of symptoms months after the resolution of acute COVID-19. METHODS We analyzed cytokines, cell phenotypes, SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific and neutralizing antibodies, and whole blood gene expression profiles in convalescent severe COVID-19 patients 1, 3, and 6 months following hospital discharge. RESULTS We observed persistent abnormalities until month 6 marked by (i) high serum levels of monocyte/macrophage and endothelial activation markers, chemotaxis, and hematopoietic cytokines; (ii) a high frequency of central memory CD4+ and effector CD8+ T cells; (iii) a decrease in anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike and neutralizing antibodies; and (iv) an upregulation of genes related to platelet, neutrophil activation, erythrocytes, myeloid cell differentiation, and RUNX1 signaling. We identified a "core gene signature" associated with a history of thrombotic events, with upregulation of a set of genes involved in neutrophil activation, platelet, hematopoiesis, and blood coagulation. CONCLUSION The lack of restoration of gene expression to a normal profile after up to 6 months of follow-up, even in asymptomatic patients who experienced severe COVID-19, signals the need to carefully extend their clinical follow-up and propose preventive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakim Hocini
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Aurélie Wiedemann
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Fabiola Blengio
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Cécile Lefebvre
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Minerva Cervantes-Gonzalez
- Département Épidémiologie Biostatistiques Et Recherche Clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, INSERM, Centre d'Investigation Clinique-Epidémiologie Clinique 1425, 75018, Paris, France
- UMR 1137, Université de Paris, INSERM, IAME, 75018, Paris, France
- APHP- Hôpital Bichat - Médecine Intensive et Réanimation des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Emile Foucat
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Pascaline Tisserand
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Mathieu Surenaud
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Séverin Coléon
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Mélanie Prague
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
- Department of Public Health, Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre, Inria SISTM, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lydia Guillaumat
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Corinne Krief
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
| | - Craig Fenwick
- Service of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cédric Laouénan
- Département Épidémiologie Biostatistiques Et Recherche Clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, INSERM, Centre d'Investigation Clinique-Epidémiologie Clinique 1425, 75018, Paris, France
- UMR 1137, Université de Paris, INSERM, IAME, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Lila Bouadma
- UMR 1137, Université de Paris, INSERM, IAME, 75018, Paris, France
- APHP- Hôpital Bichat - Médecine Intensive et Réanimation des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Jade Ghosn
- UMR 1137, Université de Paris, INSERM, IAME, 75018, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Service de Maladies Infectieuses Et Tropicales, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Pantaleo
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
- Swiss Vaccine Research Institute, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rodolphe Thiébaut
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France
- Department of Public Health, Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre, Inria SISTM, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
- CHU de Bordeaux, Pôle de Santé Publique, Service d'Information Médicale, Bordeaux, France
| | - Yves Lévy
- Vaccine Research Institute, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, INSERM U955, Team 16, Créteil, France.
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Service Immunologie Clinique, Groupe Henri-Mondor Albert-Chenevier, Créteil, France.
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161
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Vasileiou S, Hill L, Kuvalekar M, Workineh AG, Watanabe A, Velazquez Y, Lulla S, Mooney K, Lapteva N, Grilley BJ, Heslop HE, Rooney CM, Brenner MK, Eagar TN, Carrum G, Grimes KA, Leen AM, Lulla P. Allogeneic, off-the-shelf, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells (ALVR109) for the treatment of COVID-19 in high-risk patients. Haematologica 2023; 108:1840-1850. [PMID: 36373249 PMCID: PMC10316279 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Defects in T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 have been linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 (even after vaccination), persistent viral shedding and the emergence of more virulent viral variants. To address this T-cell deficit, we sought to prepare and cryopreserve banks of virus-specific T cells, which would be available as a partially HLA-matched, off-the-shelf product for immediate therapeutic use. By interrogating the peripheral blood of healthy convalescent donors, we identified immunodominant and protective T-cell target antigens, and generated and characterized polyclonal virus-specific T-cell lines with activity against multiple clinically important SARS-CoV-2 variants (including 'delta' and 'omicron'). The feasibility of making and safely utilizing such virus-specific T cells clinically was assessed by administering partially HLA-matched, third-party, cryopreserved SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells (ALVR109) in combination with other antiviral agents to four individuals who were hospitalized with COVID-19. This study establishes the feasibility of preparing and delivering off-the-shelf, SARS-CoV-2-directed, virus-specific T cells to patients with COVID-19 and supports the clinical use of these products outside of the profoundly immune compromised setting (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04401410).
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyridoula Vasileiou
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.
| | - LaQuisa Hill
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Manik Kuvalekar
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Aster G Workineh
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Ayumi Watanabe
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Yovana Velazquez
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Suhasini Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Kimberly Mooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Natalia Lapteva
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Bambi J Grilley
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Helen E Heslop
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Todd N Eagar
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - George Carrum
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Kevin A Grimes
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Ann M Leen
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Premal Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
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162
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Yang H, Sun H, Brackenridge S, Zhuang X, Wing PAC, Quastel M, Walters L, Garner L, Wang B, Yao X, Felce SL, Peng Y, Moore S, Peeters BWA, Rei M, Canto Gomes J, Tomas A, Davidson A, Semple MG, Turtle LCW, Openshaw PJM, Baillie JK, Mentzer AJ, Klenerman P, Borrow P, Dong T, McKeating JA, Gillespie GM, McMichael AJ. HLA-E-restricted SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells from convalescent COVID-19 patients suppress virus replication despite HLA class Ia down-regulation. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eabl8881. [PMID: 37390223 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abl8881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen-specific CD8+ T cell responses restricted by the nonpolymorphic nonclassical class Ib molecule human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) are rarely reported in viral infections. The natural HLA-E ligand is a signal peptide derived from classical class Ia HLA molecules that interact with the NKG2/CD94 receptors to regulate natural killer cell functions, but pathogen-derived peptides can also be presented by HLA-E. Here, we describe five peptides from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that elicited HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cell responses in convalescent patients with coronavirus disease 2019. These T cell responses were identified in the blood at frequencies similar to those reported for classical HLA-Ia-restricted anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T cells. HLA-E peptide-specific CD8+ T cell clones, which expressed diverse T cell receptors, suppressed SARS-CoV-2 replication in Calu-3 human lung epithelial cells. SARS-CoV-2 infection markedly down-regulated classical HLA class I expression in Calu-3 cells and primary reconstituted human airway epithelial cells, whereas HLA-E expression was not affected, enabling T cell recognition. Thus, HLA-E-restricted T cells could contribute to the control of SARS-CoV-2 infection alongside classical T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbing Yang
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Hong Sun
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Simon Brackenridge
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Xiaodong Zhuang
- Nuffield Depertment of Clinical Medicine, NDM Research Building, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter A C Wing
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Depertment of Clinical Medicine, NDM Research Building, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Max Quastel
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Lucy Walters
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Lee Garner
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Beibei Wang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Xuan Yao
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Suet Ling Felce
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shona Moore
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Bas W A Peeters
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Margarida Rei
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Joao Canto Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Tomas
- Unidada de Investigacao em Patobiologia Molecular, Instituto Portugues de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, EPE Lisbon, Portugal
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andrew Davidson
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Malcolm G Semple
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Respiratory Unit, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK
| | - Lance C W Turtle
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Tropical and Infectious Disease Unit, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (member of Liverpool Health Partners), Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | - Alexander J Mentzer
- Welcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Persephone Borrow
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane A McKeating
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Depertment of Clinical Medicine, NDM Research Building, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Geraldine M Gillespie
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew J McMichael
- Centre for Immuno-Oncology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
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Zhang L, Wang Z, Lyu F, Liu C, Li C, Liu W, Ma X, Zhou J, Qian X, Qian Z, Lu Y. Characterizing distinct profiles of immune and inflammatory response with age to Omicron infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1189482. [PMID: 37457688 PMCID: PMC10348361 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1189482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding inflammatory and immune responses to Omicron infection based on age is crucial when addressing this global health threat. However, the lacking of comprehensive elucidation hinders the development of distinct treatments tailored to different age populations. Methods 1299 cases of Omicron infection in Shanghai were enrolled between April 10, 2022 and June 3, 2022, dividing into three groups by ages: Adult group (18-59 years), Old group (60-79 years), and Elder group (≥ 80 years). Laboratory data including inflammatory cytokines, cellular, and humoral immunity were collected and analyzed. Results The mean age of Adult, Old, and Elder groups were 44.14, 69.98, and 89.35 years, respectively, with 40.9% being men. The Elder group patients exhibited higher white blood cell (WBC) counts and elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, but their lymphocyte counts were relatively lower. In comparison to the Old group patients, the Elder group patients demonstrated significantly lower CD3+ T-cell counts, CD3+ T-cell proportion, CD4+ T-cell counts, CD8+ T-cell counts, and CD19+ B-cell counts, while the NK-cell counts were higher. Omicron negative patients displayed a higher proportion of CD19+ B-cells and higher levels of Complement-3 and IL-17 compared to the positive patients in the Old group. Omicron negative patients had lower WBC counts, CD3+CD8+ T-cells proportion, and the levels of serum amyloid A and IgA in the Elder group, but the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was higher. Conclusions Our study identified the distinct profiles of inflammatory and immune responses to Omicron infection varying with age and highlighted the diverse correlations between the levels of various biomarkers and Omicron infected/convalescent patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Zhang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhanwen Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Feng Lyu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chun Liu
- Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunhui Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinhua Ma
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jieyu Zhou
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinyu Qian
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoxin Qian
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Lu
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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Casado JL, Vizcarra P, Martín-Hondarza A, Gómez-Maldonado S, Muedra-Sánchez M, del Pino J, Mirabella IG, Martín-Colmenarejo S, Haemmerle J, Fernández-Escribano M, Vallejo A. mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 Comirnaty vaccine elicits weak and short specific memory B cell response in individuals with no previous infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1127379. [PMID: 37457694 PMCID: PMC10338867 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127379] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The dynamics of the memory B cell (MBC) repertoire after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is crucial for assessing long-term immunity. We compare spike-specific MBC responses between SARS-CoV-2 unexposed and recovered individuals, and their impact on breakthrough infections during follow-up. Methods Spike-specific MBC and T cells were quantified at inclusion and after two doses of mRNA vaccine in a longitudinal cohort of 85 naïve and 64 recovered participants (47 with positive serology and 17 with negative serology after infection). Results At inclusion, there was minimal spike-specific MBC in naïve SARS-CoV-2 individuals. After the second vaccine dose, MBCs were significantly boosted in naïve individuals, but reached a significantly lower level than that observed even in unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2 convalescents (p<0.001). Furthermore, while the secondary memory B cell (MBC) population consisted of 100%, 33%, and 76% IgG+, IgM+, and IgA+ expressing cells, respectively, in the unexposed group, the MBC response showed a significant decrease across all isotypes. Similarly, although secondary specific IgG+, IgM+, and IgA+-MBC isotypes were found in 100%, 39%, and 76% of the unexposed participants, respectively, the magnitude of the MBC levels was significantly lower for all the isotypes compared to convalescents. Interestingly, convalescents without an initial serological response had a lower MBC response, like what found in unexposed subjects. There was an inverse correlation between specific MBCs (r=-0.307; p=0.027), especially for isotype IgA+ (r=-0.279, p=0.045), and the time since the second vaccination dose. Furthermore, during a median follow-up of 434 days (IQR, 339-495), 49 out of 149 individuals (33%) became infected, 29 in naïve and 20 in convalescent individuals, showing a significant correlation between spike-specific MBC magnitude after vaccination and the time for SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially for IgA+/IgG+ MBC isotypes. Conclusions MBCs were primed by mRNA-based vaccination in most cases, but SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals had a blunted specific MBC response, and this was associated with a shorter time to breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Casado
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
- IRYCIS, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Vizcarra
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
- IRYCIS, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Sandra Gómez-Maldonado
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Judith del Pino
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
| | - Itria G. Mirabella
- Department of Occupational Safety and Health, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Martín-Colmenarejo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
| | - Johannes Haemmerle
- Department of Occupational Safety and Health, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Vallejo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, CIBERINFEC (Biomedical Research Center Network in Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
- IRYCIS, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Immunovirology, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
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Swanepoel J, van der Zalm MM, Preiser W, van Zyl G, Whittaker E, Hesseling AC, Moore DAJ, Seddon JA. SARS-CoV-2 infection and pulmonary tuberculosis in children and adolescents: a case-control study. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:442. [PMID: 37386354 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08412-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had an impact on the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic but evidence on the possible interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and TB, especially in children and adolescents, remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the risk of TB in children and adolescents. METHODS An unmatched case-control study was conducted using SARS-CoV-2 unvaccinated children and adolescents recruited into two observational TB studies (Teen TB and Umoya), between November 2020 and November 2021, in Cape Town, South Africa. Sixty-four individuals with pulmonary TB (aged < 20 years) and 99 individuals without pulmonary TB (aged < 20 years) were included. Demographics and clinical data were obtained. Serum samples collected at enrolment underwent quantitative SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay. Odds ratios (ORs) for TB were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in the odds of having pulmonary TB between those who were SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositive and those who were seronegative (adjusted OR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.23-1.11; n = 163; p = 0.09). Of those with positive SARS-CoV-2 serology indicating prior infection, baseline IgG titres were higher in individuals with TB compared to those without TB (p = 0.04) and individuals with IgG titres in the highest tertile were more likely to have pulmonary TB compared to those with IgG levels in the lowest tertile (OR: 4.00; 95%CI: 1.13- 14.21; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Our study did not find convincing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was associated with subsequent pulmonary TB disease; however, the association between magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 IgG response and pulmonary TB warrants further investigation. Future prospective studies, evaluating the effects of sex, age and puberty on host immune responses to M. tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2, will also provide more clarity on the interplay between these two infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremi Swanepoel
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- TB Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Marieke M van der Zalm
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gert van Zyl
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Anneke C Hesseling
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - David A J Moore
- TB Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - James A Seddon
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Buggert M, Price DA, Mackay LK, Betts MR. Human circulating and tissue-resident memory CD8 + T cells. Nat Immunol 2023:10.1038/s41590-023-01538-6. [PMID: 37349380 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01538-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Our current knowledge of human memory CD8+ T cells is derived largely from studies of the intravascular space. However, emerging data are starting to challenge some of the dogmas based on this work, suggesting that a conceptual revision may be necessary. In this review, we provide a brief history of the field and summarize the biology of circulating and tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells, which are ultimately responsible for effective immune surveillance. We also incorporate recent findings into a biologically integrated model of human memory CD8+ T cell differentiation. Finally, we address how future innovative human studies could improve our understanding of anatomically localized CD8+ T cells to inform the development of more effective immunotherapies and vaccines, the need for which has been emphasized by the global struggle to contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Buggert
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Laura K Mackay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael R Betts
- Institute for Immunology and Center for AIDS Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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167
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de Moor WRJ, Williamson AL, Schäfer G, Douglass N, Gers S, Sutherland AD, Blumenthal MJ, Margolin E, Shaw ML, Preiser W, Chapman R. LSDV-Vectored SARS-CoV-2 S and N Vaccine Protects against Severe Clinical Disease in Hamsters. Viruses 2023; 15:1409. [PMID: 37515096 PMCID: PMC10383203 DOI: 10.3390/v15071409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrated the need for potent and broad-spectrum vaccines. This study reports the development and testing of a lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV)-vectored vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, utilizing stabilized spike and conserved nucleocapsid proteins as antigens to develop robust immunogenicity. Construction of the vaccine (LSDV-SARS2-S,N) was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing. In vitro characterization confirmed that cells infected with LSDV-SARS2-S,N expressed SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid protein. In BALB/c mice, the vaccine elicited high magnitude IFN-γ ELISpot responses (spike: 2808 SFU/106 splenocytes) and neutralizing antibodies (ID50 = 6552). Testing in hamsters, which emulate human COVID-19 disease progression, showed the development of high titers of neutralizing antibodies against the Wuhan and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants (Wuhan ID50 = 2905; Delta ID50 = 4648). Additionally, hamsters vaccinated with LSDV-SARS2-S,N displayed significantly less weight loss, lung damage, and reduced viral RNA copies following SARS-CoV-2 infection with the Delta variant as compared to controls, demonstrating protection against disease. These data demonstrate that LSDV-vectored vaccines display promise as an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and as a potential vaccine platform for communicable diseases in humans and animals. Further efficacy testing and immune response analysis, particularly in non-human primates, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren R J de Moor
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Georgia Schäfer
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Nicola Douglass
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | | | - Andrew D Sutherland
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Melissa J Blumenthal
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel Margolin
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Megan L Shaw
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Rosamund Chapman
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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168
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Tarke A, Zhang Y, Methot N, Narowski TM, Phillips E, Mallal S, Frazier A, Filaci G, Weiskopf D, Dan JM, Premkumar L, Scheuermann RH, Sette A, Grifoni A. Targets and cross-reactivity of human T cell recognition of common cold coronaviruses. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101088. [PMID: 37295422 PMCID: PMC10242702 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus (CoV) family includes several viruses infecting humans, highlighting the importance of exploring pan-CoV vaccine strategies to provide broad adaptive immune protection. We analyze T cell reactivity against representative Alpha (NL63) and Beta (OC43) common cold CoVs (CCCs) in pre-pandemic samples. S, N, M, and nsp3 antigens are immunodominant, as shown for severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS2), while nsp2 and nsp12 are Alpha or Beta specific. We further identify 78 OC43- and 87 NL63-specific epitopes, and, for a subset of those, we assess the T cell capability to cross-recognize sequences from representative viruses belonging to AlphaCoV, sarbecoCoV, and Beta-non-sarbecoCoV groups. We find T cell cross-reactivity within the Alpha and Beta groups, in 89% of the instances associated with sequence conservation >67%. However, despite conservation, limited cross-reactivity is observed for sarbecoCoV, indicating that previous CoV exposure is a contributing factor in determining cross-reactivity. Overall, these results provide critical insights in developing future pan-CoV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Tarke
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Experimental Medicine and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Yun Zhang
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nils Methot
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tara M Narowski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290, USA
| | - Elizabeth Phillips
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Simon Mallal
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - April Frazier
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gilberto Filaci
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Biotherapy Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniela Weiskopf
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jennifer M Dan
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290, USA
| | - Richard H Scheuermann
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Alba Grifoni
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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169
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Sun L, Su Y, Jiao A, Wang X, Zhang B. T cells in health and disease. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:235. [PMID: 37332039 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are crucial for immune functions to maintain health and prevent disease. T cell development occurs in a stepwise process in the thymus and mainly generates CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Upon antigen stimulation, naïve T cells differentiate into CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic effector and memory cells, mediating direct killing, diverse immune regulatory function, and long-term protection. In response to acute and chronic infections and tumors, T cells adopt distinct differentiation trajectories and develop into a range of heterogeneous populations with various phenotype, differentiation potential, and functionality under precise and elaborate regulations of transcriptional and epigenetic programs. Abnormal T-cell immunity can initiate and promote the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of T cell development, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell classification, and differentiation in physiological settings. We further elaborate the heterogeneity, differentiation, functionality, and regulation network of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in infectious disease, chronic infection and tumor, and autoimmune disease, highlighting the exhausted CD8+ T cell differentiation trajectory, CD4+ T cell helper function, T cell contributions to immunotherapy and autoimmune pathogenesis. We also discuss the development and function of γδ T cells in tissue surveillance, infection, and tumor immunity. Finally, we summarized current T-cell-based immunotherapies in both cancer and autoimmune diseases, with an emphasis on their clinical applications. A better understanding of T cell immunity provides insight into developing novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Yanhong Su
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Anjun Jiao
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Baojun Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China.
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Nowill AE, Caruso M, de Campos-Lima PO. T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2: what if the known best is not the optimal course for the long run? Adapting to evolving targets. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133225. [PMID: 37388738 PMCID: PMC10303130 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humanity did surprisingly well so far, considering how unprepared it was to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat. By blending old and ingenious new technology in the context of the accumulated knowledge on other human coronaviruses, several vaccine candidates were produced and tested in clinical trials in record time. Today, five vaccines account for the bulk of the more than 13 billion doses administered worldwide. The ability to elicit biding and neutralizing antibodies most often against the spike protein is a major component of the protection conferred by immunization but alone it is not enough to limit virus transmission. Thus, the surge in numbers of infected individuals by newer variants of concern (VOCs) was not accompanied by a proportional increase in severe disease and death rate. This is likely due to antiviral T-cell responses, whose evasion is more difficult to achieve. The present review helps navigating the very large literature on T cell immunity induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination. We examine the successes and shortcomings of the vaccinal protection in the light of the emergence of VOCs with breakthrough potential. SARS-CoV-2 and human beings will likely coexist for a long while: it will be necessary to update existing vaccines to improve T-cell responses and attain better protection against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre E. Nowill
- Integrated Center for Pediatric OncoHaematological Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Manuel Caruso
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Pedro O. de Campos-Lima
- Boldrini Children’s Center, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Molecular and Morphofunctional Biology Graduate Program, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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171
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Patel RS, Agrawal B. Mucosal immunization with lipopeptides derived from conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 antigens induce robust cellular and cross-variant humoral immune responses in mice. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1178523. [PMID: 37334376 PMCID: PMC10272440 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1178523] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, has infected >600 million people in the ongoing global pandemic. Several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 have emerged in the last >2 years, challenging the continued efficacy of current COVID vaccines. Therefore, there is a crucial need to investigate a highly cross-protective vaccine effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we examined seven lipopeptides derived from highly conserved, immunodominant epitopes from the S, N, and M proteins of SARS-CoV-2, that are predicted to contain epitopes for clinically protective B cells, helper T cells (TH) and cytotoxic T cells (CTL). Intranasal immunization of mice with most of the lipopeptides led to significantly higher splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production, mucosal and systemic antibody responses, and induction of effector B and T lymphocytes in both lungs and spleen, compared to immunizations with the corresponding peptides without lipid. Immunizations with Spike-derived lipopeptides led to cross-reactive IgG, IgM and IgA responses against Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron Spike proteins as well as neutralizing antibodies. These studies support their potential for development as components of a cross-protective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
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172
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Wen Z, Yuan Y, Zhao Y, Wang H, Han Z, Li M, Yuan J, Sun C. Enhancement of SARS-CoV-2 N Antigen-Specific T Cell Functionality by Modulating the Autophagy-Mediated Signal Pathway in Mice. Viruses 2023; 15:1316. [PMID: 37376617 DOI: 10.3390/v15061316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The frequent SARS-CoV-2 variants have caused a continual challenge, weakening the effectiveness of current vaccines, and thus it is of great importance to induce robust and conserved T cellular immunity for developing the next-generation vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study, we proposed a conception of enhancing the SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell functionality by fusing autophagosome-associated LC3b protein to the nucleocapsid (N) (N-LC3b). When compared to N protein alone, the N-LC3b protein was more effectively targeted to the autophagosome/lysosome/MHC II compartment signal pathway and thus elicited stronger CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immune responses in mice. Importantly, the frequency of N-specific polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which can simultaneously secrete multiple cytokines (IFN-γ+/IL-2+/TNF-α+), in the N-LC3b group was significantly higher than that in the N alone group. Moreover, there was a significantly improved T cell proliferation, especially for CD8+ T cells in the N-LC3b group. In addition, the N-LC3b also induced a robust humoral immune response, characterized by the Th1-biased IgG2a subclass antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. Overall, these findings demonstrated that our strategy could effectively induce a potential SARS-CoV-2 specific T cellular immunity with enhanced magnitude, polyfunctionality, and proliferation, and thus provided insights to develop a promising strategy for the design of a novel universal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Wen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Yue Yuan
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Yangguo Zhao
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Haohang Wang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Zirong Han
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Minchao Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Jianhui Yuan
- Nanshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Caijun Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
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173
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Tsoutsoura P, Xagas E, Roussos S, Hatzakis A, Gourzi P, Boletis IN, Marinaki S. Assessment of mRNA Vaccine Immunogenicity in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1075. [PMID: 37374279 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59061075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients have a higher risk of suffering from severe Coronavirus (COVID-19) compared to the general population. Studies have shown impaired immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines in this high-risk population; thus, SOT recipients have been prioritized globally for primary and booster doses. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 144 SOT recipients who had previously received two doses of BNT162b2 or mRNA1273 vaccine, and who were subsequently vaccinated with a booster dose of the mRNA1273 vaccine. Humoral and cellular immune responses were measured 1 and 3 months after the second dose, and 1 month after the third dose. Results: One month after the second dose, 33.6% (45/134) of patients displayed a positive antibody response with a median (25th, 75th) antibody titer of 9 (7, 161) AU/mL. Three months after the second dose, 41.8% (56/134) tested positive with a median (25th, 75th) antibody titer of 18 (7, 251) AU/mL. After the booster dose, the seropositivity rate increased to 69.4% (93/134), with a median (25th, 75th) titer of 966 (10, 8027) AU/mL. The specific SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response was assessed in 44 randomly selected recipients 3 months after the second dose, and 11.4% (5/44) of them had a positive response. Following the third dose, 42% (21/50) tested positive. Side effects after the third dose were mild, with pain at the injection site being the most frequent adverse effect, reported by 73.4% of the recipients. Conclusion: Our study shows a mild delayed increase in antibody titer, three months after primary vaccination compared to one month after. It also shows a robust augmentation of humoral and specific T-cell responses after the booster dose, as well as the safety and tolerability of the mRNA vaccines in SOT recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Tsoutsoura
- Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstathios Xagas
- Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Sotirios Roussos
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Angelos Hatzakis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Polyxeni Gourzi
- Molecular Immunopathology and Histocompatibility Unit, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 17674 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis N Boletis
- Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Smaragdi Marinaki
- Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
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174
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Nguyen CM, Luong BA, Thi Tran TT, Nguyen HN, Tran LS. Design and generation of mRNAs encoding conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab for T cell-mediated immune activation. Future Virol 2023; 18:501-516. [PMID: 38051989 PMCID: PMC10308627 DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2023-0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Aim To generate mRNAs encoding conserved regions within SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab which can induce strong T-cell responses to overcome the immune invasion of newly emergent variants. Methods We selected two conserved regions with a high density of T-cell epitopes using immunoinformatics for mRNA synthesis. The ability of testing mRNAs to activate T cells for IFN-γ production was examined by an ELISpot assay and flow cytometry. Results Two synthesized mRNAs were successfully translated in MDA-MB-231 cells and had comparable potency to the spike mRNA to induce CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 29 out of 34 participants. Conclusion This study provides a proof-of-concept for the use of SARS-CoV-2 conserved regions to develop booster vaccines capable of eliciting T-cell-mediated immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bac An Luong
- University of Medicine & Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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175
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Gil-Bescós R, Ostiz A, Zalba S, Tamayo I, Bandrés E, Rojas-de-Miguel E, Redondo M, Zabalza A, Ramírez N. Potency assessment of IFNγ-producing SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells from COVID-19 convalescent subjects. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201759. [PMID: 36941056 PMCID: PMC10027900 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201759] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new therapies for COVID-19 high-risk patients remains necessary to prevent additional deaths. Here, we studied the phenotypical and functional characteristics of IFN-γ producing-SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells (SC2-STs), obtained from 12 COVID-19 convalescent donors, to determine their potency as an off-the-shelf T cell therapy product. We found that these cells present mainly an effector memory phenotype, characterized by the basal expression of cytotoxicity and activation markers, including granzyme B, perforin, CD38, and PD-1. We demonstrated that SC2-STs could be expanded and isolated in vitro, and they exhibited peptide-specific cytolytic and proliferative responses after antigenic re-challenge. Collectively, these data demonstrate that SC2-STs can be a suitable candidate for the manufacture of a T cell therapy product aimed to treat severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Gil-Bescós
- Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Medical Research Institute (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ainhoa Ostiz
- Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Medical Research Institute (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Saioa Zalba
- Hematology and Hemotherapy Department, University Hospital of Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ibai Tamayo
- Unit of Methodology, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios Sanitarios y Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC), Pamplona, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Eva Bandrés
- Immunology Service, University Hospital of Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elvira Rojas-de-Miguel
- Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Medical Research Institute (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Margarita Redondo
- Hematology and Hemotherapy Department, University Hospital of Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amaya Zabalza
- Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Medical Research Institute (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Hematology and Hemotherapy Department, University Hospital of Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Natalia Ramírez
- Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Medical Research Institute (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
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176
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Marcinkevics R, Silva PN, Hankele AK, Dörnte C, Kadelka S, Csik K, Godbersen S, Goga A, Hasenöhrl L, Hirschi P, Kabakci H, LaPierre MP, Mayrhofer J, Title AC, Shu X, Baiioud N, Bernal S, Dassisti L, Saenz-de-Juano MD, Schmidhauser M, Silvestrelli G, Ulbrich SZ, Ulbrich TJ, Wyss T, Stekhoven DJ, Al-Quaddoomi FS, Yu S, Binder M, Schultheiβ C, Zindel C, Kolling C, Goldhahn J, Seighalani BK, Zjablovskaja P, Hardung F, Schuster M, Richter A, Huang YJ, Lauer G, Baurmann H, Low JS, Vaqueirinho D, Jovic S, Piccoli L, Ciesek S, Vogt JE, Sallusto F, Stoffel M, Ulbrich SE. Machine learning analysis of humoral and cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in young adults. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1158905. [PMID: 37313411 PMCID: PMC10258347 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1158905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces B and T cell responses, contributing to virus neutralization. In a cohort of 2,911 young adults, we identified 65 individuals who had an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and characterized their humoral and T cell responses to the Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N) and Membrane (M) proteins. We found that previous infection induced CD4 T cells that vigorously responded to pools of peptides derived from the S and N proteins. By using statistical and machine learning models, we observed that the T cell response highly correlated with a compound titer of antibodies against the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), S and N. However, while serum antibodies decayed over time, the cellular phenotype of these individuals remained stable over four months. Our computational analysis demonstrates that in young adults, asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections can induce robust and long-lasting CD4 T cell responses that exhibit slower decays than antibody titers. These observations imply that next-generation COVID-19 vaccines should be designed to induce stronger cellular responses to sustain the generation of potent neutralizing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Charlyn Dörnte
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Sarah Kadelka
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Csik
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Svenja Godbersen
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Algera Goga
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lynn Hasenöhrl
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pascale Hirschi
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hasan Kabakci
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mary P. LaPierre
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Mayrhofer
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Xuan Shu
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nouell Baiioud
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Bernal
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Dassisti
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Meret Schmidhauser
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Silvestrelli
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Z. Ulbrich
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thea J. Ulbrich
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Wyss
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J. Stekhoven
- NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies, Zurich & SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Faisal S. Al-Quaddoomi
- NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies, Zurich & SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shuqing Yu
- NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies, Zurich & SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mascha Binder
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Oncology/Hematology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christoph Schultheiβ
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Oncology/Hematology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Claudia Zindel
- Department of Health Science, Translational Medicine, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Kolling
- Department of Health Science, Translational Medicine, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Goldhahn
- Department of Health Science, Translational Medicine, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Frank Hardung
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Marc Schuster
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Anne Richter
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Yi-Ju Huang
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Gereon Lauer
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | | | - Jun Siong Low
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Vaqueirinho
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Jovic
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luca Piccoli
- Humabs BioMed SA, a Subsidiary of Vir Biotechnology, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute of Medical Virology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Julia E. Vogt
- Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Federica Sallusto
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Medical Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Stoffel
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne E. Ulbrich
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Visvabharathy L, Hanson BA, Orban ZS, Lim PH, Palacio NM, Jimenez M, Clark JR, Graham EL, Liotta EM, Tachas G, Penaloza-MacMaster P, Koralnik IJ. Neuro-PASC is characterized by enhanced CD4+ and diminished CD8+ T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1155770. [PMID: 37313412 PMCID: PMC10258318 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1155770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Many people with long COVID symptoms suffer from debilitating neurologic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Neuro-PASC). Although symptoms of Neuro-PASC are widely documented, it is still unclear whether PASC symptoms impact virus-specific immune responses. Therefore, we examined T cell and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein to identify activation signatures distinguishing Neuro-PASC patients from healthy COVID convalescents. Results We report that Neuro-PASC patients exhibit distinct immunological signatures composed of elevated CD4+ T cell responses and diminished CD8+ memory T cell activation toward the C-terminal region of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein when examined both functionally and using TCR sequencing. CD8+ T cell production of IL-6 correlated with increased plasma IL-6 levels as well as heightened severity of neurologic symptoms, including pain. Elevated plasma immunoregulatory and reduced pro-inflammatory and antiviral response signatures were evident in Neuro-PASC patients compared with COVID convalescent controls without lasting symptoms, correlating with worse neurocognitive dysfunction. Discussion We conclude that these data provide new insight into the impact of virus-specific cellular immunity on the pathogenesis of long COVID and pave the way for the rational design of predictive biomarkers and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Visvabharathy
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Barbara A. Hanson
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Zachary S. Orban
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Patrick H. Lim
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nicole M. Palacio
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Millenia Jimenez
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey R. Clark
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Edith L. Graham
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Eric M. Liotta
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - George Tachas
- Drug Discovery & Patents, Antisense Therapeutics Ltd., Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Igor J. Koralnik
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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178
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Mohandas S, Jagannathan P, Henrich TJ, Sherif ZA, Bime C, Quinlan E, Portman MA, Gennaro M, Rehman J. Immune mechanisms underlying COVID-19 pathology and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). eLife 2023; 12:e86014. [PMID: 37233729 PMCID: PMC10219649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
With a global tally of more than 500 million cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections to date, there are growing concerns about the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long COVID. Recent studies suggest that exaggerated immune responses are key determinants of the severity and outcomes of the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as subsequent PASC. The complexity of the innate and adaptive immune responses in the acute and post-acute period requires in-depth mechanistic analyses to identify specific molecular signals as well as specific immune cell populations which promote PASC pathogenesis. In this review, we examine the current literature on mechanisms of immune dysregulation in severe COVID-19 and the limited emerging data on the immunopathology of PASC. While the acute and post-acute phases may share some parallel mechanisms of immunopathology, it is likely that PASC immunopathology is quite distinct and heterogeneous, thus requiring large-scale longitudinal analyses in patients with and without PASC after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. By outlining the knowledge gaps in the immunopathology of PASC, we hope to provide avenues for novel research directions that will ultimately lead to precision therapies which restore healthy immune function in PASC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindhu Mohandas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Prasanna Jagannathan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Timothy J Henrich
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Zaki A Sherif
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Howard University College of MedicineWashingtonUnited States
| | - Christian Bime
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of MedicineTucsonUnited States
| | - Erin Quinlan
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Michael A Portman
- Seattle Children’s Hospital, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Marila Gennaro
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkUnited States
| | - Jalees Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois, College of MedicineChicagoUnited States
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179
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Arieta CM, Xie YJ, Rothenberg DA, Diao H, Harjanto D, Meda S, Marquart K, Koenitzer B, Sciuto TE, Lobo A, Zuiani A, Krumm SA, Cadima Couto CI, Hein S, Heinen AP, Ziegenhals T, Liu-Lupo Y, Vogel AB, Srouji JR, Fesser S, Thanki K, Walzer K, Addona TA, Türeci Ö, Şahin U, Gaynor RB, Poran A. The T-cell-directed vaccine BNT162b4 encoding conserved non-spike antigens protects animals from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cell 2023; 186:2392-2409.e21. [PMID: 37164012 PMCID: PMC10099181 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
T cell responses play an important role in protection against beta-coronavirus infections, including SARS-CoV-2, where they associate with decreased COVID-19 disease severity and duration. To enhance T cell immunity across epitopes infrequently altered in SARS-CoV-2 variants, we designed BNT162b4, an mRNA vaccine component that is intended to be combined with BNT162b2, the spike-protein-encoding vaccine. BNT162b4 encodes variant-conserved, immunogenic segments of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid, membrane, and ORF1ab proteins, targeting diverse HLA alleles. BNT162b4 elicits polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to diverse epitopes in animal models, alone or when co-administered with BNT162b2 while preserving spike-specific immunity. Importantly, we demonstrate that BNT162b4 protects hamsters from severe disease and reduces viral titers following challenge with viral variants. These data suggest that a combination of BNT162b2 and BNT162b4 could reduce COVID-19 disease severity and duration caused by circulating or future variants. BNT162b4 is currently being clinically evaluated in combination with the BA.4/BA.5 Omicron-updated bivalent BNT162b2 (NCT05541861).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yushu Joy Xie
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Huitian Diao
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dewi Harjanto
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Shirisha Meda
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Adam Zuiani
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - John R Srouji
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Özlem Türeci
- BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; HI-TRON - Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz by DKFZ, Obere Zahlbacherstr. 63, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Uğur Şahin
- BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstraße 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Asaf Poran
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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180
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Eser TM, Baranov O, Huth M, Ahmed MIM, Deák F, Held K, Lin L, Pekayvaz K, Leunig A, Nicolai L, Pollakis G, Buggert M, Price DA, Rubio-Acero R, Reich J, Falk P, Markgraf A, Puchinger K, Castelletti N, Olbrich L, Vanshylla K, Klein F, Wieser A, Hasenauer J, Kroidl I, Hoelscher M, Geldmacher C. Nucleocapsid-specific T cell responses associate with control of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper airways before seroconversion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2952. [PMID: 37225706 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38020-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive research since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, it has remained unclear precisely which components of the early immune response protect against the development of severe COVID-19. Here, we perform a comprehensive immunogenetic and virologic analysis of nasopharyngeal and peripheral blood samples obtained during the acute phase of infection with SARS-CoV-2. We find that soluble and transcriptional markers of systemic inflammation peak during the first week after symptom onset and correlate directly with upper airways viral loads (UA-VLs), whereas the contemporaneous frequencies of circulating viral nucleocapsid (NC)-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells correlate inversely with various inflammatory markers and UA-VLs. In addition, we show that high frequencies of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are present in acutely infected nasopharyngeal tissue, many of which express genes encoding various effector molecules, such as cytotoxic proteins and IFN-γ. The presence of IFNG mRNA-expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the infected epithelium is further linked with common patterns of gene expression among virus-susceptible target cells and better local control of SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, these results identify an immune correlate of protection against SARS-CoV-2, which could inform the development of more effective vaccines to combat the acute and chronic illnesses attributable to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea M Eser
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Olga Baranov
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Huth
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Center for Mathematics, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Mohammed I M Ahmed
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Flora Deák
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Kathrin Held
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Luming Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Kami Pekayvaz
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Leunig
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Leo Nicolai
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE, UK
| | - Marcus Buggert
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Raquel Rubio-Acero
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Jakob Reich
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Philine Falk
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Alissa Markgraf
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Puchinger
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Noemi Castelletti
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Olbrich
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Kanika Vanshylla
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Wieser
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Hasenauer
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Center for Mathematics, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Inge Kroidl
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Hoelscher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Christof Geldmacher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
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181
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Dormeshkin D, Katsin M, Stegantseva M, Golenchenko S, Shapira M, Dubovik S, Lutskovich D, Kavaleuski A, Meleshko A. Design and Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 DNA Vaccine Encoding RBD-PVXCP Fusion Protein. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1014. [PMID: 37376403 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential of immune-evasive mutation accumulation in the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to its rapid spread, causing over 600 million confirmed cases and more than 6.5 million confirmed deaths. The huge demand for the rapid development and deployment of low-cost and effective vaccines against emerging variants has renewed interest in DNA vaccine technology. Here, we report the rapid generation and immunological evaluation of novel DNA vaccine candidates against the Wuhan-Hu-1 and Omicron variants based on the RBD protein fused with the Potato virus X coat protein (PVXCP). The delivery of DNA vaccines using electroporation in a two-dose regimen induced high-antibody titers and profound cellular responses in mice. The antibody titers induced against the Omicron variant of the vaccine were sufficient for effective protection against both Omicron and Wuhan-Hu-1 virus infections. The PVXCP protein in the vaccine construct shifted the immune response to the favorable Th1-like type and provided the oligomerization of RBD-PVXCP protein. Naked DNA delivery by needle-free injection allowed us to achieve antibody titers comparable with mRNA-LNP delivery in rabbits. These data identify the RBD-PVXCP DNA vaccine platform as a promising solution for robust and effective SARS-CoV-2 protection, supporting further translational study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri Dormeshkin
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220084 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Mikalai Katsin
- Immunofusion, LLC, 210004 Vitebsk, Belarus
- Imunovakcina, UAB, LT-08102 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | | | - Michail Shapira
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220084 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Simon Dubovik
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220084 Minsk, Belarus
| | | | - Anton Kavaleuski
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Alexander Meleshko
- Immunofusion, LLC, 210004 Vitebsk, Belarus
- Imunovakcina, UAB, LT-08102 Vilnius, Lithuania
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182
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Cortese P, Amato F, Davino A, De Franchis R, Esposito S, Zollo I, Di Domenico M, Solito E, Zarrilli F, Gentile L, Cernera G, Castaldo G. The Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in a Cohort of Family Pediatricians from Southern Italy. Cells 2023; 12:1447. [PMID: 37296568 PMCID: PMC10252549 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In Italy, from January 2021, the Ministry of Health indicated a vaccination plan against COVID for frail patients and physicians based on a three-dose scheme. However, conflicting results have been reported on which biomarkers permit immunization assessment. We used several laboratory approaches (i.e., antibodies serum levels, flow cytometry analysis, and cytokines release by stimulated cells) to investigate the immune response in a cohort of 53 family pediatricians (FPs) at different times after the vaccine. We observed that the BNT162b2-mRNA vaccine induced a significant increase of specific antibodies after the third (booster) dose; however, the antibody titer was not predictive of the risk of developing the infection in the six months following the booster dose. The antigen stimulation of PBMC cells from subjects vaccinated with the third booster jab induced the increase of the activated T cells (i.e., CD4+ CD154+); the frequency of CD4+ CD154+ TNF-α+ cells, as well as the TNF-α secretion, was not modified, while we observed a trend of increase of IFN-γ secretion. Interestingly, the level of CD8+ IFN-γ+ (independently from antibody titer) was significantly increased after the third dose and predicts the risk of developing the infection in the six months following the booster jab. Such results may impact also other virus vaccinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cortese
- Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri (FIMP), 80142 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (A.D.); (R.D.F.)
| | - Felice Amato
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.A.); (I.Z.); (F.Z.); (G.C.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Antonio Davino
- Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri (FIMP), 80142 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (A.D.); (R.D.F.)
| | - Raffaella De Franchis
- Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri (FIMP), 80142 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (A.D.); (R.D.F.)
| | - Speranza Esposito
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Immacolata Zollo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.A.); (I.Z.); (F.Z.); (G.C.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Marina Di Domenico
- Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Egle Solito
- Centre for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary Univesity, London E1 4NS, UK;
| | - Federica Zarrilli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.A.); (I.Z.); (F.Z.); (G.C.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Laura Gentile
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Gustavo Cernera
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.A.); (I.Z.); (F.Z.); (G.C.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Castaldo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.A.); (I.Z.); (F.Z.); (G.C.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Scarl, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.E.); (L.G.)
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183
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Poli MC, Vial C, Rey-Jurado E, González N, Cortés LJ, Hormazabal J, Ramírez-Riffo C, de la Cruz J, Ulloa C. A Third Dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Improves Immune Response in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11051012. [PMID: 37243116 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11051012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination in these patients is prioritized, and monitoring of the immune response is paramount to define further vaccination strategies. This prospective study included a cohort of 100 adult CKD patients: 48 with kidney transplant (KT) and 52 on hemodialysis without prior COVID-19. The patients were assessed for humoral and cellular immune responses after four months of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 primary two-dose vaccination scheme (CoronaVac or BNT162b2) and one month after a booster third dose of BNT162b2 vaccine. We identified poor cellular and humoral immune responses in the CKD patients after a primary vaccination scheme, and these responses were improved by a booster. Robust polyfunctional CD4+ T cell responses were observed in the KT patients after a booster, and this could be attributed to a higher proportion of the patients having been vaccinated with homologous BNT162b2 schemes. However, even after the booster, the KT patients exhibited lower neutralizing antibodies, attributable to specific immunosuppressive treatments. Four patients suffered severe COVID-19 despite three-dose vaccination, and all had low polyfunctional T-cell responses, underscoring the importance of this functional subset in viral protection. In conclusion, a booster dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in CKD patients improves the impaired humoral and cellular immune responses observed after a primary vaccination scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cecilia Poli
- Departamento de Pediatría, Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Santiago 7650568, Chile
- Programa de Inmunogenética e Inmunología Traslacional, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Cecilia Vial
- Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Emma Rey-Jurado
- Programa de Inmunogenética e Inmunología Traslacional, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Natalia González
- Programa de Inmunogenética e Inmunología Traslacional, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
- Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Lina Jimena Cortés
- Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Juan Hormazabal
- Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Carolina Ramírez-Riffo
- Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Javiera de la Cruz
- Programa de Inmunogenética e Inmunología Traslacional, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Camilo Ulloa
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Nefrología y Trasplante Renal, Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Santiago 7650568, Chile
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184
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Vavilova JD, Ustiuzhanina MO, Boyko AA, Streltsova MA, Kust SA, Kanevskiy LM, Iskhakov RN, Sapozhnikov AM, Gubernatorova EO, Drutskaya MS, Bychinin MV, Novikova ON, Sotnikova AG, Yusubalieva GM, Baklaushev VP, Kovalenko EI. Alterations in the CD56 - and CD56 + T Cell Subsets during COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109047. [PMID: 37240393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The effectiveness of the antiviral immune response largely depends on the activation of cytotoxic T cells. The heterogeneous group of functionally active T cells expressing the CD56 molecule (NKT-like cells), that combines the properties of T lymphocytes and NK cells, is poorly studied in COVID-19. This work aimed to analyze the activation and differentiation of both circulating NKT-like cells and CD56- T cells during COVID-19 among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, moderate severity (MS) patients, and convalescents. A decreased proportion of CD56+ T cells was found in ICU patients with fatal outcome. Severe COVID-19 was accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of CD8+ T cells, mainly due to the CD56- cell death, and a redistribution of the NKT-like cell subset composition with a predominance of more differentiated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. The differentiation process was accompanied by an increase in the proportions of KIR2DL2/3+ and NKp30+ cells in the CD56+ T cell subset of COVID-19 patients and convalescents. Decreased percentages of NKG2D+ and NKG2A+ cells and increased PD-1 and HLA-DR expression levels were found in both CD56- and CD56+ T cells, and can be considered as indicators of COVID-19 progression. In the CD56- T cell fraction, increased CD16 levels were observed in MS patients and in ICU patients with lethal outcome, suggesting a negative role for CD56-CD16+ T cells in COVID-19. Overall, our findings suggest an antiviral role of CD56+ T cells in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D Vavilova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria O Ustiuzhanina
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A Boyko
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria A Streltsova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sofya A Kust
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Leonid M Kanevskiy
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Rustam N Iskhakov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander M Sapozhnikov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina O Gubernatorova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina S Drutskaya
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Division of Immunobiology and Biomedicine, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sirius, Krasnodarsky Krai, 354349 Sochi, Russia
| | - Mikhail V Bychinin
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia
| | - Oksana N Novikova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna G Sotnikova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia
| | - Gaukhar M Yusubalieva
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir P Baklaushev
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena I Kovalenko
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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185
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Lamara Mahammed L, Bensaid K, Ait-Seddik S, Larinouna A, Brahimi G, Belkaid R, Hamzaoui O, Rouaki SM, Idder C, Allam I, Djidjik R. Improved Performance of the QuantiFERON-SARS-CoV-2 Assay with the Extended Set. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051179. [PMID: 37243265 DOI: 10.3390/v15051179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple assays have been developed for the characterization of the functional activation of SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cells. This study was conducted to assess the post-vaccination and post-infection T cell response, as detected by the QuantiFERON-SARS-CoV-2 assay using the combination of three SARS-CoV-2 specific antigens (Ag1, Ag2 and Ag3). An amount of 75 participants with different infection and vaccination backgrounds were recruited for the evaluation of humoral and cellular immune responses. An elevated IFN-γ response in at least one Ag tube was observed in 69.2% of convalescent subjects and 63.9% of vaccinated ones. Interestingly, in a healthy unvaccinated case and three convalescents with negative IgG-RBD, we detected a positive QuantiFERON test after stimulation with Ag3. The majority of the T cell responders reacted simultaneously to the three SARS-CoV-2 specific antigens, and Ag3 demonstrated the highest rate of reactivity. At univariable analysis, the only factor that was associated with an absence of a cellular response was time from blood collection, being less than 30 days (OR:3.5, CI95% [1.15-10.50], p = 0.028). Overall, the inclusion of Ag3 improved the performance of the QuantiFERON-SARS-CoV-2 and showed a particular interest among subjects who fail to achieve a measurable antibody response after infection or vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Lamara Mahammed
- Immunology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Kahina Bensaid
- Immunology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Sarah Ait-Seddik
- Epidemiology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Amel Larinouna
- Epidemiology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Ghania Brahimi
- Epidemiology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Rosa Belkaid
- Epidemiology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | | | - Soumia Meriem Rouaki
- Occupational Medicine, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Cherifa Idder
- Occupational Medicine, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Ines Allam
- Immunology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
| | - Reda Djidjik
- Immunology Department, Beni-Messous Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers, Algiers 16000, Algeria
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186
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den Hartog Y, Malahe SRK, Rietdijk WJR, Dieterich M, Gommers L, Geers D, Bogers S, van Baarle D, Diavatopoulos DA, Messchendorp AL, van der Molen RG, Remmerswaal EBM, Bemelman FJ, Gansevoort RT, Hilbrands LB, Sanders JS, GeurtsvanKessel CH, Kho MML, Reinders MEJ, de Vries RD, Baan CC. Th 1-dominant cytokine responses in kidney patients after COVID-19 vaccination are associated with poor humoral responses. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:70. [PMID: 37198189 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00664-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokines are regulators of the immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the contribution of cytokine-secreting CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells to the SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral immune response in immunocompromised kidney patients is unknown. Here, we profiled 12 cytokines after stimulation of whole blood obtained 28 days post second 100 μg mRNA-1273 vaccination with peptides covering the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-protein from patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4/5, on dialysis, kidney transplant recipients (KTR), and healthy controls. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis revealed two distinct vaccine-induced cytokine profiles. The first profile was characterized by high levels of T-helper (Th)1 (IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) cytokines, and low levels of Th17 (IL-17A, IL-22) and Th9 (IL-9) cytokines. This cluster was dominated by patients with CKD, on dialysis, and healthy controls. In contrast, the second cytokine profile contained predominantly KTRs producing mainly Th1 cytokines upon re-stimulation, with lower levels or absence of Th2, Th17, and Th9 cytokines. Multivariate analyses indicated that a balanced memory T cell response with the production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines was associated with high levels of S1-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies mainly at 6 months after second vaccination. In conclusion, seroconversion is associated with the balanced production of cytokines by memory T cells. This emphasizes the importance of measuring multiple T cell cytokines to understand their influence on seroconversion and potentially gain more information about the protection induced by vaccine-induced memory T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette den Hartog
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Reshwan K Malahe
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wim J R Rietdijk
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Dieterich
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lennert Gommers
- Department of Viroscience, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daryl Geers
- Department of Viroscience, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Bogers
- Department of Viroscience, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Debbie van Baarle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitri A Diavatopoulos
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Lianne Messchendorp
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Renate G van der Molen
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ester B M Remmerswaal
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frederike J Bemelman
- Renal Transplant Unit, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ron T Gansevoort
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Luuk B Hilbrands
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Stephan Sanders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marcia M L Kho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marlies E J Reinders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rory D de Vries
- Department of Viroscience, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carla C Baan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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187
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Chour W, Choi J, Xie J, Chaffee ME, Schmitt TM, Finton K, DeLucia DC, Xu AM, Su Y, Chen DG, Zhang R, Yuan D, Hong S, Ng AHC, Butler JZ, Edmark RA, Jones LC, Murray KM, Peng S, Li G, Strong RK, Lee JK, Goldman JD, Greenberg PD, Heath JR. Large libraries of single-chain trimer peptide-MHCs enable antigen-specific CD8+ T cell discovery and analysis. Commun Biol 2023; 6:528. [PMID: 37193826 PMCID: PMC10186326 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04899-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery and characterization of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell clonotypes typically involves the labor-intensive synthesis and construction of peptide-MHC tetramers. We adapt single-chain trimer (SCT) technologies into a high throughput platform for pMHC library generation, showing that hundreds can be rapidly prepared across multiple Class I HLA alleles. We use this platform to explore the impact of peptide and SCT template mutations on protein expression yield, thermal stability, and functionality. SCT libraries were an efficient tool for identifying T cells recognizing commonly reported viral epitopes. We then construct SCT libraries to capture SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ T cells from COVID-19 participants and healthy donors. The immunogenicity of these epitopes is validated by functional assays of T cells with cloned TCRs captured using SCT libraries. These technologies should enable the rapid analyses of peptide-based T cell responses across several contexts, including autoimmunity, cancer, or infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Chour
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Jongchan Choi
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Jingyi Xie
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Mary E Chaffee
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Thomas M Schmitt
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Kathryn Finton
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Diana C DeLucia
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Alexander M Xu
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Yapeng Su
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Daniel G Chen
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Informatics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Rongyu Zhang
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Dan Yuan
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sunga Hong
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Alphonsus H C Ng
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Jonah Z Butler
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Rick A Edmark
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - Kim M Murray
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - Guideng Li
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, 215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Roland K Strong
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - John K Lee
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jason D Goldman
- Swedish Center for Research and Innovation, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Philip D Greenberg
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - James R Heath
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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188
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Lin B, Cheng L, Zhang J, Yang M, Zhang Y, Liu J, Qin X. Immunology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Clin Chim Acta 2023; 545:117390. [PMID: 37187222 PMCID: PMC10182659 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2023.117390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive elucidation of humoral immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination is critical for understanding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis in general and developing antibody-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies specifically. Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, significant scientific research has been conducted worldwide using omics, sequencing and immunologic approaches. These studies have been critical to the successful development of vaccines. Here, the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 immunogenic epitopes, humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins and non-structural proteins, SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, and T-cell responses in convalescents and vaccinated individuals are reviewed. Additionally, we explore the integrated analysis of proteomic and metabolomic data to examine mechanisms of organ injury and identify potential biomarkers. Insight into the immunologic diagnosis of COVID-19 and improvements of laboratory methods are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoxu Lin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical, University, Shenyang 110004, China; Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Linlin Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical, University, Shenyang 110004, China; Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical, University, Shenyang 110004, China; Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Yixiao Zhang
- Department of Urology Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Jianhua Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical, University, Shenyang 110004, China; Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Xiaosong Qin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical, University, Shenyang 110004, China; Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang 110004, China.
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189
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Guo L, Lin S, Chen Z, Cao Y, He B, Lu G. Targetable elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit for the design of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors and vaccines. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:197. [PMID: 37164987 PMCID: PMC10170451 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused devastating impacts on the public health and the global economy. Rapid viral antigenic evolution has led to the continual generation of new variants. Of special note is the recently expanding Omicron subvariants that are capable of immune evasion from most of the existing neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). This has posed new challenges for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, exploring broad-spectrum antiviral agents to combat the emerging variants is imperative. In sharp contrast to the massive accumulation of mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the S2 fusion subunit has remained highly conserved among variants. Hence, S2-based therapeutics may provide effective cross-protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we summarize the most recently developed broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors (e.g., nAbs, peptides, proteins, and small-molecule compounds) and candidate vaccines targeting the conserved elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. The main focus includes all the targetable S2 elements, namely, the fusion peptide, stem helix, and heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1-HR2) bundle. Moreover, we provide a detailed summary of the characteristics and action-mechanisms for each class of cross-reactive fusion inhibitors, which should guide and promote future design of S2-based inhibitors and vaccines against new coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Guo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Disaster Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Guangwen Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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190
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Pais CM, Godano MI, Juarez E, Prado AD, Manresa JB, Rufiner HL. City-scale model for COVID-19 epidemiology with mobility and social activities represented by a set of hidden Markov models. Comput Biol Med 2023; 160:106942. [PMID: 37156221 PMCID: PMC10152763 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE SARS-CoV-2 emerged by the end of 2019 and became a global pandemic due to its rapid spread. Various outbreaks of the disease in different parts of the world have been studied, and epidemiological analyses of these outbreaks have been useful for developing models with the aim of tracking and predicting the spread of epidemics. In this paper, an agent-based model that predicts the local daily evolution of the number of people hospitalized in intensive care due to COVID-19 is presented. METHODS An agent-based model has been developed, taking into consideration the most relevant characteristics of the geography and climate of a mid-size city, its population and pathology statistics, and its social customs and mobility, including the state of public transportation. In addition to these inputs, the different phases of isolation and social distancing are also taken into account. By means of a set of hidden Markov models, the system captures and reproduces virus transmission associated with the stochastic nature of people's mobility and activities in the city. The spread of the virus in the host is also simulated by following the stages of the disease and by considering the existence of comorbidities and the proportion of asymptomatic carriers. RESULTS As a case study, the model was applied to Paraná city (Entre Ríos, Argentina) in the second half of 2020. The model adequately predicts the daily evolution of people hospitalized in intensive care due to COVID-19. This adequacy is reflected by the fact that the prediction of the model (including its dispersion), as with the data reported in the field, never exceeded 90% of the capacity of beds installed in the city. In addition, other epidemiological variables of interest, with discrimination by age range, were also adequately reproduced, such as the number of deaths, reported cases, and asymptomatic individuals. CONCLUSIONS The model can be used to predict the most likely evolution of the number of cases and hospital bed occupancy in the short term. By adjusting the model to match the data on hospitalizations in intensive care units and deaths due to COVID-19, it is possible to analyze the impact of isolation and social distancing measures on the disease spread dynamics. In addition, it allows for simulating combinations of characteristics that would lead to a potential collapse in the health system due to lack of infrastructure as well as predicting the impact of social events or increases in people's mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M Pais
- Laboratorio de Cibernética, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Route Prov. 11, km 10, Ciudad de Oro Verde, provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina.
| | - Matias I Godano
- Laboratorio de Cibernética, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Route Prov. 11, km 10, Ciudad de Oro Verde, provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Emanuel Juarez
- Laboratorio de Cibernética, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Route Prov. 11, km 10, Ciudad de Oro Verde, provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Abelardo Del Prado
- Facultad de Trabajo Social, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Argentina
| | - Jose Biurrun Manresa
- Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Bioingeniería y Bioinformática (IBB), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - H Leonardo Rufiner
- Laboratorio de Cibernética, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Route Prov. 11, km 10, Ciudad de Oro Verde, provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional (sinc(i)) Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
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191
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Phan JM, Layton ED, Yu KK, Aguilar MS, Golez I, Franko NM, Logue JK, Rodda LB, Howard CA, Pepper M, Gale M, Chu HY, Seshadri C. Cytotoxic T Cells Targeting Spike Glycoprotein Are Associated with Hybrid Immunity to SARS-CoV-2. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1236-1246. [PMID: 36961450 PMCID: PMC10121904 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
mRNA vaccination of individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection provides superior protection against breakthrough infections with variants of concern compared with vaccination in the absence of prior infection. However, the immune mechanisms by which this hybrid immunity is generated and maintained are unknown. Whereas genetic variation in spike glycoprotein effectively subverts neutralizing Abs, spike-specific T cells are generally maintained against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Thus, we comprehensively profiled human T cell responses against the S1 and S2 domains of spike glycoprotein in a cohort of SARS-CoV-2-naive (n = 13) or -convalescent (n = 17) individuals who received two-dose mRNA vaccine series and were matched by age, sex, and vaccine type. Using flow cytometry, we observed that the overall functional breadth of CD4 T cells and polyfunctional Th1 responses was similar between the two groups. However, polyfunctional cytotoxic CD4 T cell responses against both S1 and S2 domains trended higher among convalescent subjects. Multimodal single-cell RNA sequencing revealed diverse functional programs in spike-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells in both groups. However, convalescent individuals displayed enhanced cytotoxic and antiviral CD8 T cell responses to both S1 and S2 in the absence of cytokine production. Taken together, our data suggest that cytotoxic CD4 and CD8 T cells targeting spike glycoprotein may partially account for hybrid immunity and protection against breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolie M. Phan
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Erik D. Layton
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Krystle K.Q. Yu
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melissa S. Aguilar
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Inah Golez
- Department of Immunology, Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicholas M. Franko
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Logue
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lauren B. Rodda
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Christian A. Howard
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael Gale
- Department of Immunology, Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Helen Y. Chu
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chetan Seshadri
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
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192
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Shamseldin MM, Kenney A, Zani A, Evans JP, Zeng C, Read KA, Hall JM, Chaiwatpongsakorn S, Mahesh KC, Lu M, Eltobgy M, Denz P, Deora R, Li J, Peeples ME, Oestreich KJ, Liu SL, Corps KN, Yount JS, Dubey P. Prime-Pull Immunization of Mice with a BcfA-Adjuvanted Vaccine Elicits Sustained Mucosal Immunity That Prevents SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Pathology. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1257-1271. [PMID: 36881867 PMCID: PMC10121870 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that induce mucosal immunity capable of preventing infection and disease remain urgently needed. In this study, we demonstrate the efficacy of Bordetella colonization factor A (BcfA), a novel bacteria-derived protein adjuvant, in SARS-CoV-2 spike-based prime-pull immunizations. We show that i.m. priming of mice with an aluminum hydroxide- and BcfA-adjuvanted spike subunit vaccine, followed by a BcfA-adjuvanted mucosal booster, generated Th17-polarized CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cells and neutralizing Abs. Immunization with this heterologous vaccine prevented weight loss following challenge with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (MA10) and reduced viral replication in the respiratory tract. Histopathology showed a strong leukocyte and polymorphonuclear cell infiltrate without epithelial damage in mice immunized with BcfA-containing vaccines. Importantly, neutralizing Abs and tissue-resident memory T cells were maintained until 3 mo postbooster. Viral load in the nose of mice challenged with the MA10 virus at this time point was significantly reduced compared with naive challenged mice and mice immunized with an aluminum hydroxide-adjuvanted vaccine. We show that vaccines adjuvanted with alum and BcfA, delivered through a heterologous prime-pull regimen, provide sustained protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed M Shamseldin
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University-Ain Helwan, Helwan, Egypt
| | - Adam Kenney
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Ashley Zani
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - John P Evans
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Cong Zeng
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Kaitlin A Read
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Jesse M Hall
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Supranee Chaiwatpongsakorn
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - K C Mahesh
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Mijia Lu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Mostafa Eltobgy
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Parker Denz
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Rajendar Deora
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Mark E Peeples
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Kenneth J Oestreich
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Shan-Lu Liu
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Kara N Corps
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Jacob S Yount
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Purnima Dubey
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
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193
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Fernández-Moreno R, Valle-Arroyo J, Páez-Vega A, Salinas A, Cano A, Pérez AB, Torre-Cisneros J, Cantisán S. Memory SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response in convalescent COVID-19 patients with undetectable specific IgG antibodies: a comparative study. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1142918. [PMID: 37180143 PMCID: PMC10169638 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1142918] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, a variable percentage of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection failed to elicit humoral response. This study investigates whether patients with undetectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG are able to generate SARS-CoV-2 memory T cells with proliferative capacity upon stimulation. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with convalescent COVID-19 patients, diagnosed with a positive real-time PCR (RT-PCR) from nasal and pharyngeal swab specimens. COVID-19 patients were enrolled ≥3 months after the last PCR positive. Proliferative T-cell response after whole blood stimulation was assessed using the FASCIA assay. Results A total of 119 participants (86 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients and 33 healthy controls) were randomly filtered from an initial cohort. Of these 86 patients, 59 had detectable (seropositive) and 27 had undetectable (seronegative) SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Seropositive patients were subclassified as asymptomatic/mild or severe according to the oxygen supplementation requirement. SARS-CoV-2 CD3+ and CD4+ T cells showed significantly lower proliferative response in seronegative than in seropositive patients. The ROC curve analysis indicated that ≥ 5 CD4+ blasts/μL of blood defined a "positive SARS-CoV-2 T cell response". According to this cut-off, 93.2% of seropositive patients had a positive T-cell response compared to 50% of seronegative patients and 20% of negative controls (chi-square; p < 0.001). Conclusions This proliferative assay is useful not only to discriminate convalescent patients from negative controls, but also to distinguish seropositive patients from those with undetectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Memory T cells in seronegative patients are able to respond to SARSCoV-2 peptides, although at a lower magnitude than seropositive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Fernández-Moreno
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Jorge Valle-Arroyo
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Aurora Páez-Vega
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Ana Salinas
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Angela Cano
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Ana B Pérez
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Microbiology Unit, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Julián Torre-Cisneros
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Sara Cantisán
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases (GC-03) and Clinical and Molecular Microbiology (GC-24) Groups, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
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194
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Sunagar R, Singh A, Kumar S. SARS-CoV-2: Immunity, Challenges with Current Vaccines, and a Novel Perspective on Mucosal Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040849. [PMID: 37112761 PMCID: PMC10143972 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has played a critical role in reducing pandemic spread, disease severity, hospitalizations, and deaths. However, the first-generation vaccines failed to block severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and transmission, partially due to the limited induction of mucosal immunity, leading to the continuous emergence of variants of concern (VOC) and breakthrough infections. To meet the challenges from VOC, limited durability, and lack of mucosal immune response of first-generation vaccines, novel approaches are being investigated. Herein, we have discussed the current knowledge pertaining to natural and vaccine-induced immunity, and the role of the mucosal immune response in controlling SARS-CoV2 infection. We have also presented the current status of the novel approaches aimed at eliciting both mucosal and systemic immunity. Finally, we have presented a novel adjuvant-free approach to elicit effective mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2, which lacks the safety concerns associated with live-attenuated vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Sudeep Kumar
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
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195
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Pereira SM, Barreto FR, de Souza RA, de Souza Teles Santos CA, Pereira M, da Paixão ES, de Jesus Lima CCO, da Natividade MS, Lindoso AABP, Fernandes EG, Junior EBC, Pescarini JM, de Andrade KVF, de Souza FM, de Britto EA, Nunes C, Ichihara MY, Dalcolmo M, Trajman A, Barral-Netto M, Abubakar I, Barreto ML, de Alencar Ximenes RA, Rodrigues LC. Previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19. BMC Med 2023; 21:145. [PMID: 37055776 PMCID: PMC10099006 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02859-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BCG vaccination, originally used to prevent tuberculosis, is known to "train" the immune system to improve defence against viral respiratory infections. We investigated whether a previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19 METHODS: A case-control study comparing the proportion with a BCG vaccine scar (indicating previous vaccination) in cases and controls presenting with COVID-19 to health units in Brazil. Cases were subjects with severe COVID-19 (O2 saturation < 90%, severe respiratory effort, severe pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock). Controls had COVID-19 not meeting the definition of "severe" above. Unconditional regression was used to estimate vaccine protection against clinical progression to severe disease, with strict control for age, comorbidity, sex, educational level, race/colour, and municipality. Internal matching and conditional regression were used for sensitivity analysis. RESULTS BCG was associated with high protection against COVID-19 clinical progression, over 87% (95% CI 74-93%) in subjects aged 60 or less and 35% (95% CI - 44-71%) in older subjects. CONCLUSIONS This protection may be relevant for public health in settings where COVID-19 vaccine coverage is still low and may have implications for research to identify vaccine candidates for COVID-19 that are broadly protective against mortality from future variants. Further research into the immunomodulatory effects of BCG may inform COVID-19 therapeutic research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlos Antonio de Souza Teles Santos
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
- Department of Exact Sciences, State University of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Marcos Pereira
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
| | - Enny Santos da Paixão
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
- Faculty of Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Julia Moreira Pescarini
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
- Faculty of Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | - Elisangela Alves de Britto
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
- State Department of Health of Bahia, Institute Couto Maia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Ceuci Nunes
- State Department of Health of Bahia, Institute Couto Maia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Maria Yuri Ichihara
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Margareth Dalcolmo
- Hélio Fraga Reference Center, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anete Trajman
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- McGill TB International Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Manoel Barral-Netto
- Institute Gonçalo Moniz - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Salvador, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Ibrahim Abubakar
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mauricio Lima Barreto
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Laura Cunha Rodrigues
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil
- Faculty of Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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196
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Nakayama EE, Shioda T. SARS-CoV-2 Related Antibody-Dependent Enhancement Phenomena In Vitro and In Vivo. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11041015. [PMID: 37110438 PMCID: PMC10145615 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11041015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a phenomenon in which antibodies produced in the body after infection or vaccination may enhance subsequent viral infections in vitro and in vivo. Although rare, symptoms of viral diseases are also enhanced by ADE following infection or vaccination in vivo. This is thought to be due to the production of antibodies with low neutralizing activity that bind to the virus and facilitate viral entry, or antigen-antibody complexes that cause airway inflammation, or a predominance of T-helper 2 cells among the immune system cells which leads to excessive eosinophilic tissue infiltration. Notably, ADE of infection and ADE of disease are different phenomena that overlap. In this article, we will describe the three types of ADE: (1) Fc receptor (FcR)-dependent ADE of infection in macrophages, (2) FcR-independent ADE of infection in other cells, and (3) FcR-dependent ADE of cytokine production in macrophages. We will describe their relationship to vaccination and natural infection, and discuss the possible involvement of ADE phenomena in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi E Nakayama
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Shioda
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
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197
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Koutsakos M, Reynaldi A, Lee WS, Nguyen J, Amarasena T, Taiaroa G, Kinsella P, Liew KC, Tran T, Kent HE, Tan HX, Rowntree LC, Nguyen THO, Thomas PG, Kedzierska K, Petersen J, Rossjohn J, Williamson DA, Khoury D, Davenport MP, Kent SJ, Wheatley AK, Juno JA. SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection induces rapid memory and de novo T cell responses. Immunity 2023; 56:879-892.e4. [PMID: 36958334 PMCID: PMC9970913 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Although the protective role of neutralizing antibodies against COVID-19 is well established, questions remain about the relative importance of cellular immunity. Using 6 pMHC multimers in a cohort with early and frequent sampling, we define the phenotype and kinetics of recalled and primary T cell responses following Delta or Omicron breakthrough infection in previously vaccinated individuals. Recall of spike-specific CD4+ T cells was rapid, with cellular proliferation and extensive activation evident as early as 1 day post symptom onset. Similarly, spike-specific CD8+ T cells were rapidly activated but showed variable degrees of expansion. The frequency of activated SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells at baseline and peak inversely correlated with peak SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in nasal swabs and accelerated viral clearance. Our study demonstrates that a rapid and extensive recall of memory T cell populations occurs early after breakthrough infection and suggests that CD8+ T cells contribute to the control of viral replication in breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marios Koutsakos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
| | - Arnold Reynaldi
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Wen Shi Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Julie Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Thakshila Amarasena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - George Taiaroa
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Paul Kinsella
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kwee Chin Liew
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas Tran
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen E Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Hyon-Xhi Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Louise C Rowntree
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Thi H O Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Paul G Thomas
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Katherine Kedzierska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jan Petersen
- Infection and Immunity Program and The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Infection and Immunity Program and The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Deborah A Williamson
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - David Khoury
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Miles P Davenport
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen J Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Adam K Wheatley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Juno
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
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198
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Alves RPDS, Wang YT, Mikulski Z, McArdle S, Shafee N, Valentine KM, Miller R, Verma SK, Batiz FAS, Maule E, Nguyen MN, Timis J, Mann C, Zandonatti M, Alarcon S, Rowe J, Kronenberg M, Weiskopf D, Sette A, Hastie K, Saphire EO, Festin S, Kim K, Shresta S. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) shows minimal neurotropism in a double-humanized mouse model. Antiviral Res 2023; 212:105580. [PMID: 36940916 PMCID: PMC10027296 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) initially infects the respiratory tract, it also directly or indirectly affects other organs, including the brain. However, little is known about the relative neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including Omicron (B.1.1.529), which emerged in November 2021 and has remained the dominant pathogenic lineage since then. To address this gap, we examined the relative ability of Omicron, Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2) to infect the brain in the context of a functional human immune system by using human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) knock-in triple-immunodeficient NGC mice with or without reconstitution with human CD34+ stem cells. Intranasal inoculation of huCD34+-hACE2-NCG mice with Beta and Delta resulted in productive infection of the nasal cavity, lungs, and brain on day 3 post-infection, but Omicron was surprisingly unique in its failure to infect either the nasal tissue or brain. Moreover, the same infection pattern was observed in hACE2-NCG mice, indicating that antiviral immunity was not responsible for the lack of Omicron neurotropism. In independent experiments, we demonstrate that nasal inoculation with Beta or with D614G, an ancestral SARS-CoV-2 with undetectable replication in huCD34+-hACE2-NCG mice, resulted in a robust response by human innate immune cells, T cells, and B cells, confirming that exposure to SARS-CoV-2, even without detectable infection, is sufficient to induce an antiviral immune response. Collectively, these results suggest that modeling of the neurologic and immunologic sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection requires careful selection of the appropriate SARS-CoV-2 strain in the context of a specific mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ying-Ting Wang
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zbigniew Mikulski
- Microscopy and Histology Core Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sara McArdle
- Microscopy and Histology Core Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Norazizah Shafee
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kristen M Valentine
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robyn Miller
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shailendra Kumar Verma
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fernanda Ana Sosa Batiz
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Erin Maule
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael N Nguyen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Julia Timis
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Colin Mann
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Zandonatti
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Suzie Alarcon
- Sequencing Core Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Rowe
- Charles River Laboratories Research Models and Services Inc., Wilmington, MA, USA
| | - Mitchell Kronenberg
- Division of Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniela Weiskopf
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathryn Hastie
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Erica Ollmann Saphire
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stephen Festin
- Charles River Laboratories Research Models and Services Inc., Wilmington, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth Kim
- Histopathology Core Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Sujan Shresta
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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199
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Xia L, Yuan LZ, Hu YH, Liu JY, Hu GS, Qi RY, Zhang TY, Xiong HL, Zheng ZZ, Lin HW, Zhang JM, Yu C, Zhou M, Ma J, Cheng T, Chen RR, Guan Y, Xia NS, Liu W. A SARS-CoV-2-specific CAR-T-cell model identifies felodipine, fasudil, imatinib, and caspofungin as potential treatments for lethal COVID-19. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:351-364. [PMID: 36864189 PMCID: PMC9979130 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-00985-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced cytokine storm is closely associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and lethality. However, drugs that are effective against inflammation to treat lethal COVID-19 are still urgently needed. Here, we constructed a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-specific CAR, and human T cells infected with this CAR (SARS-CoV-2-S CAR-T) and stimulated with spike protein mimicked the T-cell responses seen in COVID-19 patients, causing cytokine storm and displaying a distinct memory, exhausted, and regulatory T-cell phenotype. THP1 remarkably augmented cytokine release in SARS-CoV-2-S CAR-T cells when they were in coculture. Based on this "two-cell" (CAR-T and THP1 cells) model, we screened an FDA-approved drug library and found that felodipine, fasudil, imatinib, and caspofungin were effective in suppressing the release of cytokines, which was likely due to their ability to suppress the NF-κB pathway in vitro. Felodipine, fasudil, imatinib, and caspofungin were further demonstrated, although to different extents, to attenuate lethal inflammation, ameliorate severe pneumonia, and prevent mortality in a SARS-CoV-2-infected Syrian hamster model, which were also linked to their suppressive role in inflammation. In summary, we established a SARS-CoV-2-specific CAR-T-cell model that can be utilized as a tool for anti-inflammatory drug screening in a fast and high-throughput manner. The drugs identified herein have great potential for early treatment to prevent COVID-19 patients from cytokine storm-induced lethality in the clinic because they are safe, inexpensive, and easily accessible for immediate use in most countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Lun-Zhi Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Ya-Hong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jun-Yi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Guo-Sheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Ruo-Yao Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Tian-Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Hua-Long Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Zao-Zao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Hong-Wei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jia-Mo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Chao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Tong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Ri-Rong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ning-Shao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
| | - Wen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiang'an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
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200
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Wu D, Efimov GA, Bogolyubova AV, Pierce BG, Mariuzza RA. Structural insights into protection against a SARS-CoV-2 spike variant by T cell receptor diversity. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103035. [PMID: 36806685 PMCID: PMC9934920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103035] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells play a crucial role in combatting SARS-CoV-2 and forming long-term memory responses to this coronavirus. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that can evade T cell immunity has raised concerns about vaccine efficacy and the risk of reinfection. Some SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes elicit clonally restricted CD8+ T cell responses characterized by T cell receptors (TCRs) that lack structural diversity. Mutations in such epitopes can lead to loss of recognition by most T cells specific for that epitope, facilitating viral escape. Here, we studied an HLA-A2-restricted spike protein epitope (RLQ) that elicits CD8+ T cell responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients characterized by highly diverse TCRs. We previously reported the structure of an RLQ-specific TCR (RLQ3) with greatly reduced recognition of the most common natural variant of the RLQ epitope (T1006I). Opposite to RLQ3, TCR RLQ7 recognizes T1006I with even higher functional avidity than the WT epitope. To explain the ability of RLQ7, but not RLQ3, to tolerate the T1006I mutation, we determined structures of RLQ7 bound to RLQ-HLA-A2 and T1006I-HLA-A2. These complexes show that there are multiple structural solutions to recognizing RLQ and thereby generating a clonally diverse T cell response to this epitope that assures protection against viral escape and T cell clonal loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichao Wu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China; W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Brian G Pierce
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Roy A Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
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