Memory T cell responses targeting the SARS coronavirus persist up to 11 years post-infection
Open accessAbstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious infectious disease which first emerged in late 2002, caused by a then novel human coronavirus, SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The virus is believed to have originated from bats and transmitted to human through intermediate animals such as civet cats. The re-emergence of SARS-CoV remains a valid concern due to the continual persistence of zoonotic SARS-CoVs and SARS-like CoVs (SL-CoVs) in bat reservoirs. In this study, the screening for the presence of SARS-specific T cells in a cohort of three SARS-recovered individuals at 9 and 11 years post-infection was carried out, and all memory T cell responses detected target the SARS-CoV structural proteins. Two CD8(+) T cell responses targeting the SARS-CoV membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins were characterized by determining their HLA restriction and minimal T cell epitope regions. Furthermore, these responses were found to persist up to 11 years post-infection. An absence of cross-reactivity of these CD8(+) T cell responses against the newly-emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was also demonstrated. The knowledge of the persistence of SARS-specific celullar immunity targeting the viral structural proteins in SARS-recovered individuals is important in the design and development of SARS vaccines, which are currently unavailable.
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Following natural infection of humans with SARS-CoV, neutralizing antibody and memory B cell responses in some individuals are short lived (~3 years), whereas memory T cells persist for at least 6 years.
“Following natural infection of humans with the related SARS-CoV, neutralizing antibody and memory B cell responses in some individuals are reported to be short lived (~ 3 years), whereas memory T cells persist for at least 6 years (54–56)”
From An <i>Alphavirus</i> -derived replicon RNA vaccine induces SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody and T cell responses in mice and nonhuman primates (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
The Introduction reports that SARS-specific memory T cells persisted for up to six years after recovery, and the Conclusion reports their detection at nine and eleven years. The Introduction also says SARS-specific antibody levels were undetectable at six years, but our copy does not establish that neutralizing antibodies or memory B cells were short-lived at approximately three years. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn humans, T cells contribute to the resolution of SARS-CoV infection and can form a long-lasting memory response to SARS-CoV up to 11 years post-infection in recovered patients.
“In humans, T cells contribute to the resolution of SARS-CoV infection and can form a long-lasting memory response to SARS-CoV up to 11 years post-infection in recovered patients.27”
From Safety and immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 ARCoV mRNA vaccine in Chinese adults: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial (2022) · cites this paper as [27]
The Conclusion reports SARS-specific memory T cells in three recovered individuals at 9 and 11 years post-infection. The Introduction links lower T-cell numbers in humans with severe disease, but attributes evidence for T-cell-mediated viral clearance to animal studies; it does not establish that T cells contribute to resolution of infection in humans. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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- Authors
- Ng, O.-W., Chia, A., Tan, A. T., Jadi, R. S., Leong, H. N., Bertoletti, A., & Tan, Y.-J.
- Affiliations
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Singapore General Hospital (SG)
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (SG)
- Corresponding author
- Tan, Anthony T.
- Tan, Yee-Joo
- Venue
- Vaccine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-04
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 17
- Pages
- 2008-2014
- ISSN
- 0264-410X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7115611
- OpenAlex
- W2292472819
- Cited by
- 436
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 106 · 2020: 136 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Vaccine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- A*STAR BMRC (10/1/21/19/652)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Keywords
- SARS coronavirus, memory T cell responses, CD8+ T cells, SARS survivors, membrane proteins, nucleocapsid protein, HLA restriction, T cell epitopes, cross-reactivity, MERS-CoV, zoonotic coronaviruses
- MeSH terms
- Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins, Coronavirus M Proteins, Cross Reactions, Humans, Immunity, Cellular, Immunologic Memory, Viral Matrix Proteins, Histocompatibility Antigens Class I, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte, Nucleocapsid Proteins, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
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