Investigating immunological cross-reactivities to SARS-CoV-2 (C08)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2014 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 114933180

High variability of clinical presentations of SARS-CoV-2 infections have raised the question of differential base-line protection against COVID-19. Work from our group and others has demonstrated the existence of SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in a subset of healthy, seronegative, unexposed individuals. Other studies have suggested pre-existing cross-reactive antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed individuals, which were specifically frequent in children. It remains unknown to which extent pre-existing immunological cross-reactivity impacts susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the clinical course COVID-19. It has been observed that recent pneumococcal and influenza vaccination was associated with a significantly reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. It has been hypothesized that cross-reactivity between pneumococcal and influenza antigens and SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins may confer some level of immunological cross-protection. Here, we will systematically assess humoral and cellular cross-reactivity between hCoVs as well as pneumococcal protein-antigens, and SARS-CoV-2.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 84: Innate Immunity of the Lung: Mechanisms of Pathogen Attack and Host Defence in Pneumonia
• Applicant Institution: shared FU Berlin and HU Berlin through:; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Leif Erik Sander; Professor Dr. Peter H. Seeberger