Grant 2024 assessed the conservation of known CD8 T-cell epitopes in the recently circulating H5N1 viruses to determine the potential for pre-existing immunity to H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in humans. Results showed that > 64% of the CD8 T-cell epitopes are highly conserved in the H5N1 viruses, suggesting the potential for T-cell cross-recognition against the H5N1 viruses providing some protection in humans.
Milestone
2.5.a
Epitope catalog
In progress
Identify major influenza epitopes recognized by CD4 and CD8 T cells for a comprehensive range of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types and define the epitopes that elicit broadly protective T-cell immunity.
Progress Highlights
Menon 2024 identified nine IBV CD8 T-cell epitopes restricted by prominent HLA-B*07:02, HLA-B*08:01, and HLA-B*35:01 alleles, increasing the number of known IBV CD8 T-cell epitopes by 50% for potential application in the design of cross-reactive vaccines to elicit CD8 T-cell immunity against IBV.
van de Sandt 2023 defined epitope-specific CD8 T-cell immunity across the human lifespan in newborns, children, adults and older adults. The authors performed ex vivo phenotypic, transcriptome, functional, and TCRαβ repertoire analyses of A2/M158-specific CD8 T cells, and identified age-related TCR repertoire shifts within older epitope-specific CD8 T cells, stemming from newborn/child-like molecular signatures detected in older adults.