Identification of a spike-specific CD8+ T cell epitope following vaccination against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in humans

Abstract

Licensed vaccines against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), an emerging pathogen of concern, are lacking. The modified vaccinia virus Ankara vector-based vaccine MVA-MERS-S, expressing the MERS-CoV-spike glycoprotein (MERS-S), is one of 3 candidate vaccines in clinical development and elicits robust humoral and cellular immunity. Here, we identified for the first time a MERS-S-specific CD8+ T-cell epitope in an HLA-A*03:01/HLA-B*35:01-positive vaccinee using a screening assay, intracellular cytokine staining, and in silico epitope prediction. As evidence from MERS-CoV infection suggests a protective role of long-lasting CD8+ T-cell responses, the identification of epitopes will facilitate longitudinal analyses of vaccine-induced T-cell immunity.

Bibliographical data

Original languageEnglish
ISSN0022-1899
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16.08.2024

Comment Deanary

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.

PubMed 38195212