Viral T-cell epitopes - Identification, characterization and clinical application.

T-cell immunity, mediated by CD4 ⁺ and CD8 ⁺ T cells, represents a cornerstone in the control of viral infections. Virus-derived T-cell epitopes are represented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-presented viral peptides on the surface of virus-infected cells. They are the prerequisite for the recognition of infected cells by T cells. Knowledge of viral T-cell epitopes provides on the one hand a diagnostic tool to decipher protective T-cell immune responses in the human population and on the other hand various prophylactic and therapeutic options including vaccination approaches and the transfer of virus-specific T cells. Such approaches have already been proven to be effective against various viral infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients lacking sufficient humoral, antibody-based immune response. This review provides an overview on the state of the art as well as current studies regarding the identification and characterization of viral T-cell epitopes and approaches of clinical application. In the first chapter in silico prediction tools and direct, mass spectrometry-based identification of viral T-cell epitopes is compared. The second chapter provides an overview of commonly used assays for further characterization of T-cell responses and phenotypes. The final chapter presents an overview of clinical application of viral T-cell epitopes with a focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), being representatives of relevant viruses.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest A.N. and J.S.W. are listed as inventors on patent applications of the COVID-19T cell activator CoVac-1, application number: PCT/EP 20 190 070.1 and of SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ und CD4+ T cell epitopes, Application number: PCT/EP 20 169 047.6. A.N. is listed as inventor on a patent application of HCMV-derived peptides, application number: EP2020/074114. The other author declares no competing interests.
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)