1
|
He T, Deng Y, Zhang F, Zhang J, Zhu L, Wang Q, Ning J, Wu H, Yuan H, Li B, Wu C. Characteristics of Norovirus capsid protein-specific CD8 + T-Cell responses in previously infected individuals. Virulence 2024; 15:2360133. [PMID: 38803081 PMCID: PMC11141469 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2360133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Norovirus (NV) infection causes acute gastroenteritis in children and adults. Upon infection with NV, specific CD8+ T cells, which play an important role in anti-infective immunity, are activated in the host. Owing to the NV's wide genotypic variability, it is challenging to develop vaccines with cross-protective abilities against infection. To aid effective vaccine development, we examined specific CD8+ T-cell responses towards viral-structural protein (VP) epitopes, which enable binding to host susceptibility receptors. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 196 participants to screen and identify predominant core peptides towards NV main and small envelope proteins using ex vivo and in vitro intracellular cytokine staining assays. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction characteristics were detected using next-generation sequencing. Three conservative immunodominant VP-derived CD8+ T-cell epitopes, VP294-102 (TDAARGAIN), VP2153-161 (RGPSNKSSN), and VP1141-148 (FPHIIVDV), were identified and restrictively presented by HLA-Cw * 0102, HLA-Cw * 0702, and HLA-A *1101 alleles, separately. Our findings provide useful insights into the development of future vaccines and treatments for NV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taojun He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yilin Deng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Luhong Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qinjin Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Ning
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hanmei Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Waerlop G, Janssens Y, Jacobs B, Jarczowski F, Diessner A, Leroux-Roels G, Klimyuk V, Leroux-Roels I, Thieme F. Immune responses in healthy adults elicited by a bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate composed of GI.4 and GII.4 VLPs without adjuvant. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188431. [PMID: 37435073 PMCID: PMC10331465 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of an efficacious vaccine against norovirus is of paramount importance given its potential to reduce the global burden of norovirus-associated morbidity and mortality. Here, we report a detailed immunological analysis of a phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial performed on 60 healthy adults, ages 18 to 40. Total serum immunoglobulin and serum IgA against vaccine strains and cross-reactive serum IgG against non-vaccine strains were measured by enzyme immunoassays, whereas cell-mediated immune responses were quantified using intracellular cytokine staining by flow cytometry. A significant increase in humoral and cellular responses, e.g., IgA and CD4+ polypositive T cells, was triggered by the GI.4 Chiba 407 (1987) and GII.4 Aomori 2 (2006) VLP-based norovirus vaccine candidate rNV-2v, which is formulated without adjuvant. No booster effect was observed after the second administration in the pre-exposed adult study population. Furthermore, a cross-reactive immune response was elicited, as shown by IgG titers against GI.3 (2002), GII.2 OC08154 (2008), GII.4 (1999), GII.4 Sydney (2012), GII.4 Washington (2018), GII.6 Maryland (2018), and GII.17 Kawasaki 308 (2015). Due to viral infection via mucosal gut tissue and the high variety of potentially relevant norovirus strains, a focus should be on IgA and cross-protective humoral and cell-mediated responses in the development of a broadly protective, multi-valent norovirus vaccine. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05508178. EudraCT number: 2019-003226-25.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn Waerlop
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yorick Janssens
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart Jacobs
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Geert Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Isabel Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Thieme
- Icon Genetics GmbH, a Denka Company, Halle, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pattekar A, Mayer LS, Lau CW, Liu C, Palko O, Bewtra M, Consortium HPAP, Lindesmith LC, Brewer-Jensen PD, Baric RS, Betts MR, Naji A, Wherry EJ, Tomov VT. Norovirus-Specific CD8 + T Cell Responses in Human Blood and Tissues. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 11:1267-1289. [PMID: 33444817 PMCID: PMC8010716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Moreover, an asymptomatic carrier state can persist following acute infection, promoting NoV spread and evolution. Thus, defining immune correlates of NoV protection and persistence is needed to guide the development of future vaccines and limit viral spread. Whereas antibody responses following NoV infection or vaccination have been studied extensively, cellular immunity has received less attention. Data from the mouse NoV model suggest that T cells are critical for preventing persistence and achieving viral clearance, but little is known about NoV-specific T-cell immunity in humans, particularly at mucosal sites. METHODS We screened peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 3 volunteers with an overlapping NoV peptide library. We then used HLA-peptide tetramers to track virus-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral, lymphoid, and intestinal tissues. Tetramer+ cells were further characterized using markers for cellular trafficking, exhaustion, cytotoxicity, and proliferation. RESULTS We defined 7 HLA-restricted immunodominant class I epitopes that were highly conserved across pandemic strains from genogroup II.4. NoV-specific CD8+ T cells with central, effector, or tissue-resident memory phenotypes were present at all sites and were especially abundant in the intestinal lamina propria. The properties and differentiation states of tetramer+ cells varied across donors and epitopes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are an important step toward defining the breadth, distribution, and properties of human NoV T-cell immunity. Moreover, the molecular tools we have developed can be used to evaluate future vaccines and engineer novel cellular therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ajinkya Pattekar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lena S. Mayer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Department of Medicine II: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Disease, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Chi Wai Lau
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Chengyang Liu
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Olesya Palko
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Meenakshi Bewtra
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Lisa C. Lindesmith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Paul D. Brewer-Jensen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Ralph S. Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Michael R. Betts
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ali Naji
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - E. John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vesselin T. Tomov
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Vesselin Tomov, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, 421 Curie Boulevard, BRB 313, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. fax: (215) 349-5915.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lindesmith LC, Brewer-Jensen PD, Mallory ML, Jensen K, Yount BL, Costantini V, Collins MH, Edwards CE, Sheahan TP, Vinjé J, Baric RS. Virus-Host Interactions Between Nonsecretors and Human Norovirus. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 10:245-267. [PMID: 32289501 PMCID: PMC7301201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Human norovirus infection is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. Genetic polymorphisms, mediated by the FUT2 gene (secretor enzyme), define strain susceptibility. Secretors express a diverse set of fucosylated histoblood group antigen carbohydrates (HBGA) on mucosal cells; nonsecretors (FUT2-/-) express a limited array of HBGAs. Thus, nonsecretors have less diverse norovirus strain infections, including resistance to the epidemiologically dominant GII.4 strains. Because future human norovirus vaccines will comprise GII.4 antigen and because secretor phenotype impacts GII.4 infection and immunity, nonsecretors may mimic young children immunologically in response to GII.4 vaccination, providing a needed model to study cross-protection in the context of limited pre-exposure. METHODS By using specimens collected from the first characterized nonsecretor cohort naturally infected with GII.2 human norovirus, we evaluated the breadth of serologic immunity by surrogate neutralization assays, and cellular activation and cytokine production by flow cytometry. RESULTS GII.2 infection resulted in broad antibody and cellular immunity activation that persisted for at least 30 days for T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells, and for 180 days for blocking antibody. Multiple cellular lineages expressing interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α dominated the response. Both T-cell and B-cell responses were cross-reactive with other GII strains, but not GI strains. To promote entry mechanisms, inclusion of bile acids was essential for GII.2 binding to nonsecretor HBGAs. CONCLUSIONS These data support development of within-genogroup, cross-reactive antibody and T-cell immunity, key outcomes that may provide the foundation for eliciting broad immune responses after GII.4 vaccination in individuals with limited GII.4 immunity, including young children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Lindesmith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Paul D Brewer-Jensen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Michael L Mallory
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kara Jensen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Boyd L Yount
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Veronica Costantini
- Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Matthew H Collins
- Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Caitlin E Edwards
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Timothy P Sheahan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jan Vinjé
- Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ralph S Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hanajiri R, Sani GM, Saunders D, Hanley PJ, Chopra A, Mallal SA, Sosnovtsev SV, Cohen JI, Green KY, Bollard CM, Keller MD. Generation of Norovirus-Specific T Cells From Human Donors With Extensive Cross-Reactivity to Variant Sequences: Implications for Immunotherapy. J Infect Dis 2020; 221:578-588. [PMID: 31562500 PMCID: PMC7325618 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic norovirus infection in immunocompromised patients can be severe, and presently there is no effective treatment. Adoptive transfer of virus-specific T cells has proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of many viral infections, and this could represent a novel treatment approach for chronic norovirus infection. Hence, we sought to generate human norovirus-specific T cells (NSTs) that can recognize different viral sequences. METHODS Norovirus-specific T cells were generated from peripheral blood of healthy donors by stimulation with overlapping peptide libraries spanning the entire coding sequence of the norovirus genome. RESULTS We successfully generated T cells targeting multiple norovirus antigens with a mean 4.2 ± 0.5-fold expansion after 10 days. Norovirus-specific T cells comprised both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that expressed markers for central memory and effector memory phenotype with minimal expression of coinhibitory molecules, and they were polyfunctional based on cytokine production. We identified novel CD4- and CD8-restricted immunodominant epitopes within NS6 and VP1 antigens. Furthermore, NSTs showed a high degree of cross-reactivity to multiple variant epitopes from clinical isolates. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify immunodominant human norovirus T-cell epitopes and demonstrate that it is feasible to generate potent NSTs from third-party donors for use in antiviral immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Hanajiri
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Gelina M Sani
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Devin Saunders
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Patrick J Hanley
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- GW Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Abha Chopra
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Simon A Mallal
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stanislav V Sosnovtsev
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey I Cohen
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kim Y Green
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Catherine M Bollard
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- GW Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Michael D Keller
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- GW Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
The Antigenic Topology of Norovirus as Defined by B and T Cell Epitope Mapping: Implications for Universal Vaccines and Therapeutics. Viruses 2019; 11:v11050432. [PMID: 31083353 PMCID: PMC6563215 DOI: 10.3390/v11050432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis. Vaccine design has been confounded by the antigenic diversity of these viruses and a limited understanding of protective immunity. We reviewed 77 articles published since 1988 describing the isolation, function, and mapping of 307 unique monoclonal antibodies directed against B cell epitopes of human and murine noroviruses representing diverse Genogroups (G). Of these antibodies, 91, 153, 21, and 42 were reported as GI-specific, GII-specific, MNV GV-specific, and G cross-reactive, respectively. Our goal was to reconstruct the antigenic topology of noroviruses in relationship to mapped epitopes with potential for therapeutic use or inclusion in universal vaccines. Furthermore, we reviewed seven published studies of norovirus T cell epitopes that identified 18 unique peptide sequences with CD4- or CD8-stimulating activity. Both the protruding (P) and shell (S) domains of the major capsid protein VP1 contained B and T cell epitopes, with the majority of neutralizing and HBGA-blocking B cell epitopes mapping in or proximal to the surface-exposed P2 region of the P domain. The majority of broadly reactive B and T cell epitopes mapped to the S and P1 arm of the P domain. Taken together, this atlas of mapped B and T cell epitopes offers insight into the promises and challenges of designing universal vaccines and immunotherapy for the noroviruses.
Collapse
|