Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody and T cell responses over time after infection: predicting the future by understanding correlates to protection (Vad definierar en genomgången SARS-CoV-2 infektion och vad skyddar mot en ny?)

Grant number: 2020-05782

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • start year

    2020
  • Known Financial Commitments (USD)

    $202,008
  • Funder

    Swedish Research Council
  • Principal Investigator

    Jonas Klingström
  • Research Location

    Sweden
  • Lead Research Institution

    Karolinska Institutet
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Pathogen: natural history, transmission and diagnostics

  • Research Subcategory

    Immunity

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Unspecified

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Unspecified

  • Vulnerable Population

    Unspecified

  • Occupations of Interest

    Unspecified

Abstract

In order to dampen the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and the effects of COVID-19, it is important to effectively, rapidly and with high sensitivity and specificity, identify previously infected individuals. Equally important is to understand if these individuals are protected against subsequent infection and/or can transfer the virus to other individuals if they are re-infected.Without this knowledge it is not possible to perform high-quality screens for previous SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population, and not understand the risk for spread of the virus in a population.In this project we aim to 1) Identify specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses that are stable over time in all infected individuals, including  asymptomatically infected and hospitalized severe cases. Further, by analysing for possible reinfection we aim to 2) Identify lack of specific immune responses associated with detection of viremia (= risk for viral spread to other individuals) during a second SARS-CoV-2 infection.Previously SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals (n=>250), will be sampled regularly over time. Saliva will be drawn every week for analyses of presence of virus. Blood will be sampled every 3rd month for serology assays, broadly analysing for viral-specific antibody responses including neutralizing capacity, immediate T cell responses by stimulating whole blood with a specific SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool, and detailed phneotypical and functional memory B and T cell analyses by flow cytometry. Medicinsk bioteknologi (inriktn. mot cellbiologi (inkl. stamcellsbiologi) molekylärbiologi, mikrobiologi, biokemi eller biofarmaci); Immunologi inom det medicinska området; Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området

Publicationslinked via Europe PMC

Long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific and cross-reactive cellular immune responses correlate with humoral responses, disease severity, and symptomatology.

Heterologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and mRNA-1273 Vaccination.

An evaluation of a FluoroSpot assay as a diagnostic tool to determine SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses.

Expansion of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody-Secreting Cells and Generation of Neutralizing Antibodies in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.