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ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination generates spike-specific CD8 + T cells in aged mice.

William S FosterJoseph NewmanNazia ThakurAlexandra J SpencerSophie DaviesDanielle WoodsLeila GodfreySarah H RossHayley J SharpeArianne C RichardDalan BaileyTeresa LambeMichelle A Linterman
Published in: Immunology and cell biology (2023)
Effective vaccines have reduced SARS-CoV-2 morbidity and mortality; however, the elderly remain the most at risk. Understanding how vaccines generate protective immunity, and how these mechanisms change with age is key for informing future vaccine design. Cytotoxic CD8 + T cells are important for killing virally infected cells, and vaccines that induce antigen specific CD8 + T cells in addition to humoral immunity provide an extra layer of immune protection. This is particularly important in cases where antibody titres are sub-optimal, as can occur in older individuals. Here, we show that in aged mice, spike-epitope specific CD8 + T cells are generated in comparable numbers to younger animals after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination, although phenotypic differences exist. This demonstrates that ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 elicits a good CD8 + T cell response in older bodies, but that typical age-associated features are evident on these vaccine reactive T cells.
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