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Soni MK, Migliori E, Fu J, Assal A, Chan HT, Pan J, Khatiwada P, Ciubotariu R, May MS, Pereira MR, De Giorgi V, Sykes M, Mapara MY, Muranski PJ. The prospect of universal coronavirus immunity: characterization of reciprocal and non-reciprocal T cell responses against SARS-CoV2 and common human coronaviruses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1212203. [PMID: 37901229 PMCID: PMC10612330 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1212203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell immunity plays a central role in clinical outcomes of Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and T cell-focused vaccination or cellular immunotherapy might provide enhanced protection for some immunocompromised patients. Pre-existing T cell memory recognizing SARS-CoV-2 antigens antedating COVID-19 infection or vaccination, may have developed as an imprint of prior infections with endemic non-SARS human coronaviruses (hCoVs) OC43, HKU1, 229E, NL63, pathogens of "common cold". In turn, SARS-CoV-2-primed T cells may recognize emerging variants or other hCoV viruses and modulate the course of subsequent hCoV infections. Cross-immunity between hCoVs and SARS-CoV-2 has not been well characterized. Here, we systematically investigated T cell responses against the immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 spike, nucleocapsid and membrane proteins and corresponding antigens from α- and β-hCoVs among vaccinated, convalescent, and unexposed subjects. Broad T cell immunity against all tested SARS-CoV-2 antigens emerged in COVID-19 survivors. In convalescent and in vaccinated individuals, SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells reliably recognized most SARS-CoV-2 variants, however cross-reactivity against the omicron variant was reduced by approximately 47%. Responses against spike, nucleocapsid and membrane antigens from endemic hCoVs were significantly more extensive in COVID-19 survivors than in unexposed subjects and displayed cross-reactivity between α- and β-hCoVs. In some, non-SARS hCoV-specific T cells demonstrated a prominent non-reciprocal cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV-2 antigens, whereas a distinct anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunological repertoire emerged post-COVID-19, with relatively limited cross-recognition of non-SARS hCoVs. Based on this cross-reactivity pattern, we established a strategy for in-vitro expansion of universal anti-hCoV T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. Overall, these results have implications for the future design of universal vaccines and cell-based immune therapies against SARS- and non-SARS-CoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithil K. Soni
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Edoardo Migliori
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jianing Fu
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amer Assal
- Department of Medicine, Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hei Ton Chan
- Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jian Pan
- Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Prabesh Khatiwada
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rodica Ciubotariu
- Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michael S. May
- Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marcus R. Pereira
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - Valeria De Giorgi
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Megan Sykes
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Markus Y. Mapara
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pawel J. Muranski
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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Davies SI, Barrett J, Wong S, Chang MJ, Muranski PJ, Brownell I. Robust Production of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Oncogene Specific T Cells From Healthy Donors for Adoptive Transfer. Front Immunol 2020; 11:592721. [PMID: 33362774 PMCID: PMC7756016 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.592721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus positive Merkel cell carcinoma (VP-MCC) is an aggressive but immunogenic skin malignancy driven by Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) T antigen (TAg). Since adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) can be effective against virus-driven malignancies, we set out to develop a methodology for generating MCPyV TAg specific T cells. MCPyV is a common, asymptomatic infection and virus-exposed healthy donors represent a potential source of MCPyV TAg specific T cells for ACT. Virus specific T cells were generated using monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) pulsed with MCPyV TAg peptide libraries and co-cultured with autologous T cells in supplemented with pro-inflammatory and homeostatic cytokines for 14 days. Specific reactivity was observed predominantly within the CD4+ T cell compartment in the cultures generated from 21/46 random healthy donors. Notably, responses were more often seen in donors aged 50 years and older. TAg specific CD4+ T cells specifically secreted Th1 cytokines and upregulated CD137 upon challenge with MCPyV TAg peptide libraries and autologous transduced antigen presenting cells. Expanded T cells from healthy donors recognized epitopes of both TAg splice variants found in VP-MCC tumors, and minimally expressed exhaustion markers. Our data show that MCPyV specific T cells can be expanded from healthy donors using methods appropriate for the manufacture of clinical grade ACT products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah I Davies
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.,Dermatology Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John Barrett
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Susan Wong
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mark Jesse Chang
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pawel J Muranski
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Columbia Center for Translational Immunology (CCTI), Cellular Immunotherapy Laboratory, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Isaac Brownell
- Dermatology Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
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Davies S, Barrett J, Muranski PJ, Brownell I. Abstract 2189: Generating Merkel cell polyomavirus-specific T cells from healthy donors for adoptive immunotherapy. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-2189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer that is highly immunogenic. Approximately 80% of MCC tumors are virus positive (VP-MCC) and express Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) T antigens that drive oncogenesis. As VP-MCC have a low mutation burden with few predicted neoantigens, viral oncogenes are thought to be primary targets for anti-cancer immunity. Immune checkpoint inhibitors improve MCC survival, yet not all patients have durable responses. VP-MCC patients who fail checkpoint inhibition or who have immune dysfunction may benefit from adoptive cellular therapy using virus-specific T cells from HLA-matched donors. As the risk of graft versus host disease is low with virus-specific T cells, this approach is being investigated for other viral diseases. We set out to generate MCPyV-specific T cells from healthy donors for potential adoptive immunotherapy. Naïve and memory T cells from donors were magnetically isolated prior to stimulation with autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells pulsed with 15-mer overlapping peptide libraries of MCPyV T antigens. T cells were serially re-stimulated with peptide-pulsed irradiated, autologous PHA-blasts up to five times. Cultures were maintained in either standard growth cytokines (IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15) or a pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail. T cell phenotype and reactivity were evaluated by flow cytometry. We found that standard cytokine conditions were unable to promote growth of MCPyV-specific mature T cells. Altering growth conditions to include a cocktail of pro-inflammatory cytokines promoted expansion of polyfunctional Th1 CD4+ T cells specific for MCPyV T antigen peptides. These cells produced TNFα and upregulated the activation markers CD154 and CD137 upon cognate antigen exposure. Cells were generated without bias for particular HLAs. These results suggest that peptide-based expansions may be a suitable platform to generate allogeneic adoptive T cell immunotherapies for patients with VP-MCC.
Citation Format: Sarah Davies, John Barrett, Pawel J. Muranski, Isaac Brownell. Generating Merkel cell polyomavirus-specific T cells from healthy donors for adoptive immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2189.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Barrett
- 2George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC
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