Long-term memory CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 in individuals who received the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine

N Kuse, Y Zhang, T Chikata, HT Nguyen, S Oka… - Nature …, 2022 - nature.com
N Kuse, Y Zhang, T Chikata, HT Nguyen, S Oka, H Gatanaga, M Takiguchi
Nature Communications, 2022nature.com
Long-term memory T cells have not been well analyzed in individuals vaccinated with a
COVID-19 vaccine although analysis of these T cells is necessary to evaluate vaccine
efficacy. Here, investigate HLA-A* 24: 02-restricted CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2-
derived spike (S) epitopes in individuals immunized with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. T
cells specific for the S-QI9 and S-NF9 immunodominant epitopes have higher ability to
recognize epitopes than other epitope-specific T cell populations. This higher recognition of …
Abstract
Long-term memory T cells have not been well analyzed in individuals vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine although analysis of these T cells is necessary to evaluate vaccine efficacy. Here, investigate HLA-A*24:02-restricted CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2-derived spike (S) epitopes in individuals immunized with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. T cells specific for the S-QI9 and S-NF9 immunodominant epitopes have higher ability to recognize epitopes than other epitope-specific T cell populations. This higher recognition of S-QI9-specific T cells is due to the high stability of the S-QI9 peptide for HLA-A*24:02, whereas that of S-NF9-specific T cells results from the high affinity of T cell receptor. T cells specific for S-QI9 and S-NF9 are detectable >30 weeks after the second vaccination, indicating that the vaccine induces long-term memory T cells specific for these epitopes. Because the S-QI9 epitope is highly conserved among SARS-CoV-2 variants, S-QI9-specific T cells may help prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants.
nature.com