The global emergence of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86) of SARS-CoV-2 has sparked concern due to its significant mutation levels. Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology are employing the Immune Epitope Database to anticipate how T cells might react to Pirola. Preliminary findings suggest that current vaccines and past encounters with variants like Omicron could still provide considerable protection. However, these findings are still in the predictive stage and need experimental confirmation. Source: SciTechPost.com
La Jolla Institute for Immunology experts are utilizing bioinformatics to predict T cell adaptation to the highly mutated Pirola variant.
Identified in August, the Pirola variant, also known as BA.2.86, was initially found in patients in Israel and Denmark and has since spread worldwide. This variant has garnered attention for its extensive mutations, comparable to those seen in the Omicron variant relative to early strains of SARS-CoV-2.
Researchers are exploring the possibility that existing COVID-19 vaccines or prior exposure to the virus might still protect against severe illness caused by Pirola.
LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr.Biol.Sci., raises concerns about the variant’s potential to evade T cell immunity.
A study in Cell Host & Microbe indicates that T cells may effectively identify and target Pirola despite its mutations. LJI Research Assistant Professor Alba Grifoni, Ph.D., notes that exposure to Omicron or the newer bivalent vaccines might equip individuals with T cells capable of responding to Pirola.
Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr.Biol.Sci., and team have turned to the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) for their research. This database contains critical data on how immune cells identify microbe fragments, or epitopes.
Using this database, the team analyzed how T cells trained by COVID-19 vaccines or previous virus exposure might react to Pirola. They discovered that a significant portion of T cell responses could still target Pirola’s epitopes. Specifically, 72% of CD4+ helper T cell responses and 89% of CD8+ killer T cell responses were conserved across variants. However, only 56% of epitopes on Pirola’s Spike protein were conserved, posing a challenge as current vaccines focus on these Spike epitopes.
Further analysis revealed that a high percentage of T cell epitopes on the Spike fragments were similar enough for T cells to recognize.
LJI Research Assistant Alba Grifoni, Ph.D., suggests that T cells might also adapt to target newly mutated peptides of Pirola, as observed with other variants. This adaptability could explain why severe disease has not increased with Pirola infections.
Grifoni emphasizes the need for experimental validation of these predictions. Collaborations are underway globally to investigate these aspects.
Professor Sette underscores the importance of vaccination, particularly with updated vaccines, as many remain susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infections, including Pirola.
The research team is gathering experimental data to enhance their predictive models and understand T cell responses to variants more thoroughly. Grifoni is particularly interested in how individuals with bivalent vaccine boosters or breakthrough infections develop T cell responses against future variants.
The study also involved author John Sidney and was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Reference: “Pre-existing SARS-2-specific T cells are predicted to cross-recognize BA.2.86” by Alessandro Sette, John Sidney, and Alba Grifoni, 8 December 2023, Cell Host & Microbe.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.010
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about T cell response Pirola variant
What is the Pirola variant of COVID-19?
The Pirola variant, also known as BA.2.86, is a new mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It was first detected in Israel and Denmark and has since spread globally. This variant is noted for its high mutation rate, similar to that of the Omicron variant.
How are T cells responding to the Pirola variant?
Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology are using bioinformatics and the Immune Epitope Database to predict T cell responses to the Pirola variant. Preliminary findings suggest that T cells, trained by current COVID-19 vaccines or previous exposure to other variants, might still effectively recognize and target Pirola.
Are current COVID-19 vaccines effective against the Pirola variant?
Initial predictions indicate that current COVID-19 vaccines, especially the newer bivalent vaccines, may still offer significant protection against the Pirola variant. This is due to the ability of T cells to recognize and adapt to the mutated virus.
What does the recent study in Cell Host & Microbe suggest about T cell efficacy?
The study suggests that despite Pirola’s mutations, most T cell responses remain effective. Specifically, a significant portion of T cell epitopes (fragments recognized by immune cells) are conserved or similar enough for T cells to recognize them, even in Pirola’s highly mutated Spike protein.
Is further research needed to confirm these findings?
Yes, the current findings are based on predictive models and require experimental validation. Researchers are conducting further studies and collaborations globally to confirm the effectiveness of T cell responses to the Pirola variant in real-world scenarios.
More about T cell response Pirola variant
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology Research on Pirola Variant
- Cell Host & Microbe Study on T Cell Response to Pirola
- SciTechPost Article on Pirola Variant and T Cell Immunity
- Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) for COVID-19 Research
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Research
5 comments
Not sure i get all the technical jargon but the main point seems to be that vaccines are still our best bet? hope they’re right about this one…
Wow, this is really interesting stuff! Didn’t know T cells could be so adaptable against new variants like Pirola. Great to hear vaccines might still work against it.
excellent article, very informative. But we need to be cautious, predictions aren’t the same as real-world results. looking forward to more studies on this.
kinda confused, how can they predict T cell responses without real data? seems like a lot of guesswork to me?
Its amazing how quickly science is moving with Covid research. Pirola variant sounds scary but it’s good to know our immune system is up for the challenge. Go science!