Human adaptive immune receptors recognizing diphtheria toxoid

Human adaptive immune receptors recognizing diphtheria toxoid encompass the repertoire of B-cell receptors (BCRs) and T-cell receptors (TCRs) that specifically bind to the inactivated form of the diphtheria toxin. These receptors are central to the protective immunity elicited by diphtheria vaccines, such as DTaP and Tdap (CDC, 2022). Upon exposure to the toxoid, specific BCRs on B cells and TCRs on T cells recognize various epitopes of the protein, triggering a cascade of immune activation. This process results in the production of neutralizing antibodies (IgG) that prevent the diphtheria toxin from entering host cells by blocking its binding to the heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) receptor (StatPearls, 2023). Additionally, these receptors facilitate the formation of long-lived memory B and T cells, providing durable protection against Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection. In modern vaccinology, diphtheria toxoid or its non-toxic variant CRM197 also serves as a crucial carrier protein for conjugate vaccines, leveraging these adaptive immune receptors to enhance the immunogenicity of polysaccharide antigens in infants (Pichichero, 2013).

Other names

Diphtheria toxoid-specific B-cell receptorsDiphtheria toxoid-specific T-cell receptorsAnti-diphtheria toxoid antibodiesDT-specific BCRsDT-specific TCRs

Vaccines containing diphtheria toxoid bind to these receptors on naive and memory B and T cells, triggering clonal expansion and differentiation into antibody-secreting plasma cells and memory cells (Janeway et al., 2001). The resulting antibodies neutralize the toxin by blocking its binding to the HB-EGF receptor on host cells (StatPearls, 2023).