Screening HLA-A-restricted T cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 and the induction of CD8⁺ T cell responses in HLA-A transgenic mice.

ABSTRACT: Since severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cells have been found to play essential roles in host immune protection and pathology in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), this study focused on the functional validation of T cell epitopes and the development of vaccines that induce specific T cell responses. A total of 120 CD8⁺ T cell epitopes from the E, M, N, S, and RdRp proteins were functionally validated. Among these, 110, 15, 6, 14, and 12 epitopes were highly homologous with SARS-CoV, OC43, NL63, HKU1, and 229E, respectively; in addition, four epitopes from the S protein displayed one amino acid that was distinct from the current SARS-CoV-2 variants. Then, 31 epitopes restricted by the HLA-A2 molecule were used to generate pep

SUBMITTER: Jin X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8561351 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature