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Epitope similarity cannot explain the pre-formed T cell immunity towards structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
Stervbo, Ulrik; Rahmann, Sven; Roch, Toralf; Westhoff, Timm H; Babel, Nina.
  • Stervbo U; Center for Translational Medicine, University Hospital Marien Hospital Herne, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany. ulrik.stervbo@elisabethgruppe.de.
  • Rahmann S; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, and Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany. ulrik.stervbo@elisabethgruppe.de.
  • Roch T; Genome Informatics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany. sven.rahmann@uni-due.de.
  • Westhoff TH; Center for Translational Medicine, University Hospital Marien Hospital Herne, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany.
  • Babel N; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, and Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
Sci Rep ; 10(1): 18995, 2020 11 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-910353
ABSTRACT
The current pandemic is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and large progress in understanding the pathology of the virus has been made since its emergence in late 2019. Several reports indicate short lasting immunity against endemic coronaviruses, which contrasts studies showing that biobanked venous blood contains T cells reactive to SARS-CoV-2 S-protein even before the outbreak in Wuhan. This suggests a preformed T cell memory towards structural proteins in individuals not exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Given the similarity of SARS-CoV-2 to other members of the Coronaviridae family, the endemic coronaviruses appear likely candidates to generate this T cell memory. However, given the apparent poor immunological memory created by the endemic coronaviruses, immunity against other common pathogens might offer an alternative explanation. Here, we utilize a combination of epitope prediction and similarity to common human pathogens to identify potential sources of the SARS-CoV-2 T cell memory. Although beta-coronaviruses are the most likely candidates to explain the pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in uninfected individuals, the SARS-CoV-2 epitopes with the highest similarity to those from beta-coronaviruses are confined to replication associated proteins-not the host interacting S-protein. Thus, our study suggests that the observed SARS-CoV-2 pre-formed immunity to structural proteins is not driven by near-identical epitopes.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pneumonia, Viral / T-Lymphocytes / Viral Structural Proteins / Coronavirus Infections / Immunologic Memory / Epitopes Type of study: Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-020-75972-z

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pneumonia, Viral / T-Lymphocytes / Viral Structural Proteins / Coronavirus Infections / Immunologic Memory / Epitopes Type of study: Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-020-75972-z