Robust T Cell Immunity in Convalescent Individuals with Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19.

Sekine T, Perez-Potti A, Rivera-Ballesteros O, Strålin K, Gorin J, Olsson A, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Kamal H, Bogdanovic G, Muschiol S, Wullimann DJ, Kammann T, Emgård J, Parrot T, Folkesson E, Karolinska COVID-19 Study Group , Rooyackers O, Eriksson LI, Henter J, Sönnerborg A, Allander T, Albert J, Nielsen M, Klingström J, Gredmark-Russ S, Björkström NK, Sandberg JK, Price DA, Ljunggren H, Aleman S, Buggert M

Cell 183 (1) 158-168.e14 [2020-10-01; online 2020-08-14]

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. Here, we systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members, and individuals with acute or convalescent COVID-19. Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed a highly activated cytotoxic phenotype that correlated with various clinical markers of disease severity, whereas convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were polyfunctional and displayed a stem-like memory phenotype. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detectable in antibody-seronegative exposed family members and convalescent individuals with a history of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19. Our collective dataset shows that SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19.

Category: Genomics & transcriptomics

Category: Other

Category: Proteins

Funder: KAW/SciLifeLab National COVID program

Funder: VR

Research Area: Data-driven research – models and AI

Research Area: Host cell systems biology and targets

Type: Journal article

PubMed 32979941

DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.017

Crossref 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.017

Supplementary materials: predicted binding affinities, donor characteristics, sample information, and some analyses
NA: All data included in the paper


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