SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell memory is sustained in COVID-19 convalescent patients for 10 months with successful development of stem cell-like memory T cells
Jae Hyung Jung, Min‐Seok Rha, Moa Sa, Hee Kyoung Choi, Ji Hoon Jeon, Hyeri Seok, Dae Won Park, Su‐Hyung Park, Hye Won Jeong, Won Suk Choi, Eui‐Cheol Shin
Abstract
Abstract Memory T cells contribute to rapid viral clearance during re-infection, but the longevity and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells remain unclear. Here we conduct ex vivo assays to evaluate SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients up to 317 days post-symptom onset (DPSO), and find that memory T cell responses are maintained during the study period regardless of the severity of COVID-19. In particular, we observe sustained polyfunctionality and proliferation capacity of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells. Among SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cells detected by activation-induced markers, the proportion of stem cell-like memory T (T SCM ) cells is increased, peaking at approximately 120 DPSO. Development of T SCM cells is confirmed by SARS-CoV-2-specific MHC-I multimer staining. Considering the self-renewal capacity and multipotency of T SCM cells, our data suggest that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are long-lasting after recovery from COVID-19, thus support the feasibility of effective vaccination programs as a measure for COVID-19 control.