Open AccessIdentification of Common CD8+T Cell Epitopes from Lassa Fever Survivors in Nigeria and Sierra Leone
Author(s) -
Saori Sakabe,
Jessica N. Hartnett,
Nhi Ngo,
Augustine Goba,
Mambu Momoh,
John Demby Sandi,
Lansana Kanneh,
Beatrice Cubitt,
Selma D. Garcia,
Brian C. Ware,
Dylan Kotliar,
Refugio RoblesSikisaka,
Karthik Gangavarapu,
Luis M. Branco,
Philomena Eromon,
Ikponmwosa Odia,
Ephraim Ogbaini-Emovon,
Onikepe Folarin,
Sylvanus Okogbenin,
Peter O. Okokhere,
Christian Happi,
Pardis C. Sabeti,
Kristian G. Andersen,
Robert F. Garry,
Juan Carlos de la Torre,
Donald S. Grant,
John S. Schieffelin,
Michael B. A. Oldstone,
Brian M. Sullivan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.00153-20
Subject(s) - lassa virus , sierra leone , lassa fever , epitope , virology , biology , immunity , immunology , antigen , virus , immune system , socioeconomics , sociology
The high morbidity and mortality associated with clinical cases of Lassa fever, together with the lack of licensed vaccines and limited and partially effective interventions, make Lassa virus (LASV) an important health concern in its regions of endemicity in West Africa. Previous infection with LASV protects from disease after subsequent exposure, providing a framework for designing vaccines to elicit similar protective immunity. Multiple major lineages of LASV circulate in West Africa, and therefore, ideal vaccine candidates should elicit immunity to all lineages. We therefore sought to identify common T cell epitopes between Lassa fever survivors from Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where distinct lineages circulate. We identified three such epitopes derived from highly conserved regions within LASV proteins. In this process, we also identified nine other T cell epitopes. These data should help in the design of an effective pan-LASV vaccine.