SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells exhibit unique features characterized by robust helper function, lack of terminal differentiation, and high proliferative potential
bioinformatics immunology/immunity proteomics
Authors:Neidleman J et al.
Journal/ Pre-Print:BioRxiv
Tags: Bioinformatics, Immunology/Immunity, Proteomics
Research Highlights
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SARS-CoV2 specific CD4+ T-cells present Th1 phenotype, central memory features with helper function and long-lived properties in mild COVID19 successfully recovering patients.
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SARS-CoV2 specific CD8+ T-cells were mostly CD45RA+ with Temra phenotype (comparable to CMV counterparts) but not terminally differentiated (CD27+CD28+).
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SARS-CoV2 specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells do not share same phenotype but both have long-lived and homeostatic proliferative subsets.
Summary
In this paper, the authors characterized the phenotype of SARS-CoV2 T-cell responses compared to common CMV T-cell response, in recently recovered patients from mild COVID19 by using CyTOF. SARS-CoV2 specific CD4+ T-cells harbor robust Th1 orientated phenotype (mostly Tbethigh and IFN-+ after in vitro stimulation with Spike derived peptides) central memory phenotype (CD45ROhighCD45RAlowCD27+CCR7int), express significantly ICOS suggesting that they have helper functions, and some CD4+ T-cell present overtime express CD127+ which suggest that they are long-lived. SARS-CoV2 specific CD8+ T-cells display not terminally differentiated Temra features with few capable of homeostatic proliferation (long-lived).
Impact for SARS-CoV2/COVID19 research efforts
Understand the immune response to SARS-CoV2/COVID19
Study Type
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bioinformatics study
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In vitro study
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Clinical Cohort study (from only 4 patients)
Strengths and limitations of the paper
Novelty: They focused mainly on memory immune responses in convalescent patients to assess the kind of immunity that remains after COVID19 recovery.
Appropriate statistics: Almost no statistical analysis – patient number (4) likely too small for meaningful statistical analysis. Mostly descriptive study.
Viral model used:Four convalescent patients recovering from mild form of COVID19 in San Francisco (USA). In vitro stimulation with Spike-protein, envelope and nucleocapsid derived peptides.
Translatability:Would require bigger study (greater number of patients) with functional assay to conclude whether having a particular T cell population can protect people (outcome for vaccine efficacy?).
Main limitations:
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Small sample size, 4 patients and 2 uninfected donors. Not age matched.
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Data points for SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are very low, with fewer than 50-90 SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells fro each donor used to make conclusions on phenotype.
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Mainly focused on spike-specific T cell responses
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Almost no statistical analysis! Mostly descriptive study.
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Did not assess functional potential of the cell.
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Did not compare to other disease severity recovering patients (severe and critical).