Strong-killing T cell receptors involved in mild COVID-19 infection

SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cells may persist for up to 12 months after infection.

• T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires specific to SARS-CoV-2 show diversity and varying effectiveness against infected cells.
• High functionality of TCR correlates with specific gene signatures for each epitope-HLA combination studied.
• Polyclonal, highly functional CD8 TCRs may be linked to protective immunity following mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• The quality of T cell responses could be assessed and potentially enhanced based on these findings.

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