Reagents for COVID-19 Research

Last updated: Sep 16, 2020

COVID-19 infected cells can be recognized by T-cells only after SARS-CoV-2 peptides are processed and presented in the context of self MHCs.

Identifying these peptides have essential utilities:
▶Immune monitoring: Using peptide-MHC tetramers to assess vaccine-induced immunity
▶Designing potent vaccines that elicit durable responses

T-cells are activated only by interacting with processed peptides (e.g. of SARS-CoV-2) that sit in the groove of MHC class I and II molecules. Identifying these peptides can be used (in forms of peptide-MHC tetramers) to assess vaccine induced immunity and assist in designing potent vaccines with durable responses.

The protein sequence of SARS-CoV-2 is known and the predicted epitopes are identified and available published/reviewed by recent articles including one by Dr. Alessandro Sette:
・A Sequence Homology and Bioinformatic Approach Can Predict Candidate Targets for Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2
⇒ The predicted epitopes is launched! Affinities with MHCs has been evaluated using QuickSwitch™ Tetramer kits. Please find the peptide list!
・Candidate targets for immune responses to 2019-Novel Coronavirus (nCoV): sequence homology- and bioinformatic-based predictions

We can assist companies and academic investigators who are actively developing coronavirus vaccines with our MHC Tetramer reagents.

By using these kits, you can identify/validate the binding of predicted peptide sequences of the COVID-19 viral proteins in most common alleles: H-2K^b, HLA-A2, A11, A24.
※QuickSwitch™ kits for MHC class II are coming soon.

We can manufacture custom MHC tetramers or biotinylated monomers of your interest.

HLA-A*02:01 Tetramers loading four SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein peptides are available. Tetramer positive populations were detected using human samples in publications（References）。

52 peptides are now available. Affinities with MHCs has been evaluated using QuickSwitch™ Tetramer kits.
※Detailed information is available from links in the tables below.

■Figure showing peptide exchange rate determined by QuickSwitch™ Tetramer kits
※QuickSwitch™ kits for MHC class II are coming soon.

• ・Poluektov Y et al., Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Specific CD4(+) and CD8 (+) T Cell Responses Using MHC Class I and II Tetramers. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.07.08.194209 (2020)
• ・Herrmann A et al., A Targeted Vaccine against COVID-19: S1-Fc Vaccine Targeting the Antigen-Presenting Cell Compartment Elicits Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Infection. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.06.29.178616 (2020)
• ・Zhang Y et al., The ORF8 Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Mediates Immune Evasion through Potently Downregulating MHC-I. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.05.24.111823 (2020)
• ・Alina S. Shomuradova AS, et al., SARS-CoV-2 epitopes are recognized by a public and diverse repertoire of human T-cell receptors. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.05.20.20107813 version 2 (2020)
• ・Chour W et al., Shared Antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell Responses Against the SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein in HLA A*02:01 COVID-19 Participants. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.05.04.20085779 (2020)
• ・Wang B et al., Identification of an HLA-A*0201–restricted CD8⁺ T-cell epitope SSp-1 of SARS-CoV spike protein. Blood. 104, 200–206 (2004) PMID: 15016646