The role of de novo CTLs in recognition of mutant viruses escaped from HLA-mediated immune pressure

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19160
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Immunology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Akahoshi Tomohiro 熊本大学, エイズ学研究センター, 特定事業研究員 (10635783)
• Research Collaborator: GATANAGA Hiroyuki 国立国際医療研究センター, エイズ治療・研究開発センター
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: HIV-1 / CTL / HLAクラスⅠ関連変異 / エピトープ推定 / 変異エピトープ / ネオエピトープ / 変異特異的CTL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In present study, we aimed to clarify to what extent HIV-1-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTL) recognizing HLA-adapted escape mutants are induced in a cohort of chronically HIV-1-infeand Japanese individuals and whether they contribute to control of HIV-1 replication. Among mutant epitopes which were predicted based on cohort’s consensus viral sequence containing HLA-associated mutations, we focused on two epitopes in which mixture of wild type (WT) and mutant viruses and/or frequent selection and reversion of those viruses were longitudinally observed. In those epitopes, cross-reactive CTLs, which recognized both WT and mutant peptides, and mutant-specific CTLs were induced in HIV-1-infected individuals. These results indicated that de novo CTLs recognizing HLA-adapted escape mutants elicited in chronic phase of HIV-1 infection may contribute to control of HIV-1 infection.

Free Research Field

感染免疫