SARS-CoV-2 virus-specific T-cells

SARS-CoV-2 virus-specific T-cells (also known as CoV-2-STs or SARS-CoV-2 VSTs) represent an investigational adoptive cellular immunotherapy designed to treat severe or persistent COVID-19, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. This therapy consists of non-engineered, HLA-matched, donor-derived CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expanded ex vivo from convalescent or vaccinated donors. The T cells are trained using overlapping peptide pools (pepmixes) to target multiple immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, including the spike (S), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. Upon intravenous infusion, these virus-specific T cells recognize and eliminate SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, restoring cellular immunity and promoting viral clearance. The therapy has been evaluated in clinical trials, including the DEFINE platform trial led by the University of Edinburgh and clinical studies by other academic institutions.

Other names

SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cellsSARS-CoV2-specific T-cellsSARS-CoV 2-specific T-cellsSARS-CoV-2 VSTsSARS-CoV2 VSTsSARS-CoV 2 VSTsCoV-2-STsCoV2-STsCoV 2-STsSARS-CoV-2-specific virus-specific T-cellsSARS-CoV2-specific virus-specific T-cellsSARS-CoV 2-specific virus-specific T-cells