Enhancing Cellular Immunity Through Epitope Peptides of SARS-CoV-2 in Individuals with Specific HLA Allele

This research explores the effectiveness of a new cytotoxic T-cell epitope peptide specific for HLA-A2402 in enhancing cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections. HLA molecules play a key role in presenting antigenic epitopes to T cells, with genetic polymorphisms resulting in varying immune responses among individuals. The study aimed to investigate whether loading this epitope peptide into dendritic cells (DCs) from HLA-A2402(+) individuals could improve immune responses. DCs were sensitized with varying doses of the peptide (2-12 µg/mL), with optimal results observed at 8 µg/mL. T-cell responses, proliferation, differentiation, Th cytokine secretion, CTL function, and apoptotic response were compared among the HLA-A2402(+), HLA-A2402(-), PBS control, DC only, and epitope-only groups. A significant enhancement in DC maturation, antigen presentation, T-cell activation, and proliferation was observed in the HLA-A2402(+) group compared to the HLA-A2402(-) control. These findings suggest that HLA-A2402-restricted epitope peptides can enhance cellular immunity, offering potential for improving allele-specific SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and other molecular therapies, advancing precision medicine for infectious diseases.