Open AccessCytotoxic T lymphocytes targeting a conserved SARS-CoV-2 spike epitope are efficient serial killers
Author(s) -
Mohsen Fathi,
Lindsey Charley,
Laurence J.N. Cooper,
Navin Varadarajan,
Daniel D Meyer
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
biotechniques/biotechniques
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.617
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1940-9818
pISSN - 0736-6205
DOI - 10.2144/btn-2022-0016
Subject(s) - epitope , cytotoxic t cell , biology , effector , immune system , virology , immunology , antibody , immunity , epitope mapping , genetics , in vitro
Understanding immune response to infections and vaccines lags understanding humoral responses. While neutralizing antibody responses wane over time, T cells are instrumental in long-term immunity. We apply machine learning and time-lapse imaging microscopy in nanowell grids (TIMING) to study thousands of videos of T cells with specificity for SARS-CoV-2 eliminating targets bearing spike protein as a surrogate for viral infection. The data on effector functions, including cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity, provide the first direct evidence that cytotoxic T lymphocytes from a convalescent patient targeting an epitope conserved across all known variants of concern are serial killers capable of eliminating multiple infected target cells. These data have implications for vaccine development and for the recovery and monitoring of infected individuals.