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Publication Abstract from PubMed

SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8(+) T cells are scarce but detectable in unexposed healthy donors (UHDs). It remains unclear whether pre-existing human coronavirus (HCoV)-specific CD8(+) T cells are converted to functionally competent T cells cross-reactive to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we identified the HLA-A24-high binding, immunodominant epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 spike region that can be recognized by seasonal coronavirus-specific CD8(+) T cells from HLA-A24(+) UHDs. Cross-reactive CD8(+) T cells were clearly reduced in patients with hematological malignancy, who are usually immunosuppressed, compared to those in UHDs. Furthermore, we showed that CD8(+) T cells in response to a selected dominant epitope display multifunctionality and cross-functionality across HCoVs in HLA-A24(+) donors. Cross-reactivity of T-cell receptors isolated from them exhibited selective diversity at the single-cell level. Taken together, when stimulated well by immunodominant epitopes, selective pre-existing CD8(+) T cells with high functional avidity may be cross-reactive against SARS-CoV-2.

Identification of TCR repertoires in functionally competent cytotoxic T cells cross-reactive to SARS-CoV-2.,Shimizu K, Iyoda T, Sanpei A, Nakazato H, Okada M, Ueda S, Kato-Murayama M, Murayama K, Shirouzu M, Harada N, Hidaka M, Fujii SI Commun Biol. 2021 Dec 2;4(1):1365. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02885-6. PMID:34857854^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.