No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations
Abstract Frequent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable populations has raised concerns that this may contribute to T cell exhaustion, which could negatively affect the quality of immune protection. Herein, we examined the impact of repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on T cell phenotypic and functional...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3 |
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| author | Jenna M. Benoit Jessica A. Breznik Ying Wu Allison Kennedy Li-Min Liu Braeden Cowbrough Barbara Baker Megan Hagerman Catherine M. Andary Maha Mushtaha Nora Abdalla Jamie D. McNicol Gail Gauvreau Paul Y. Kim Judah A. Denburg Andrew P. Costa Darryl P. Leong Ishac Nazy MyLinh Duong Jonathan L. Bramson Maggie J. Larché Chris P. Verschoor Dawn M. E. Bowdish |
| author_facet | Jenna M. Benoit Jessica A. Breznik Ying Wu Allison Kennedy Li-Min Liu Braeden Cowbrough Barbara Baker Megan Hagerman Catherine M. Andary Maha Mushtaha Nora Abdalla Jamie D. McNicol Gail Gauvreau Paul Y. Kim Judah A. Denburg Andrew P. Costa Darryl P. Leong Ishac Nazy MyLinh Duong Jonathan L. Bramson Maggie J. Larché Chris P. Verschoor Dawn M. E. Bowdish |
| author_sort | Jenna M. Benoit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Frequent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable populations has raised concerns that this may contribute to T cell exhaustion, which could negatively affect the quality of immune protection. Herein, we examined the impact of repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on T cell phenotypic and functional exhaustion in frail older adults in long-term care (n = 23), individuals on immunosuppressive drugs (n = 10), and healthy adults (n = 43), in Canada. Spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels did not decline in any cohort following repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, nor did the expression of exhaustion markers on spike-specific or total T cells increase. T cell production of multiple cytokines (i.e. polyfunctionality) in response to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 did not decline in any cohort following repeated vaccination. None of the cohorts displayed elevated levels of terminally differentiated T cells following multiple SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Thus, repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was not associated with increased T cell exhaustion in older frail adults, immunosuppressed individuals, or healthy adults. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-43173b5acc274bf6b7d81cdc830e9a7a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-43173b5acc274bf6b7d81cdc830e9a7a2025-08-20T02:37:33ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-60216-3No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populationsJenna M. Benoit0Jessica A. Breznik1Ying Wu2Allison Kennedy3Li-Min Liu4Braeden Cowbrough5Barbara Baker6Megan Hagerman7Catherine M. Andary8Maha Mushtaha9Nora Abdalla10Jamie D. McNicol11Gail Gauvreau12Paul Y. Kim13Judah A. Denburg14Andrew P. Costa15Darryl P. Leong16Ishac Nazy17MyLinh Duong18Jonathan L. Bramson19Maggie J. Larché20Chris P. Verschoor21Dawn M. E. Bowdish22Department of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityPopulation Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health SciencesPopulation Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health SciencesDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityMcMaster Institute for Research on Aging, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityMcMaster Centre for Transfusion Research, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Medicine, McMaster UniversityAbstract Frequent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable populations has raised concerns that this may contribute to T cell exhaustion, which could negatively affect the quality of immune protection. Herein, we examined the impact of repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on T cell phenotypic and functional exhaustion in frail older adults in long-term care (n = 23), individuals on immunosuppressive drugs (n = 10), and healthy adults (n = 43), in Canada. Spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels did not decline in any cohort following repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, nor did the expression of exhaustion markers on spike-specific or total T cells increase. T cell production of multiple cytokines (i.e. polyfunctionality) in response to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 did not decline in any cohort following repeated vaccination. None of the cohorts displayed elevated levels of terminally differentiated T cells following multiple SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Thus, repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was not associated with increased T cell exhaustion in older frail adults, immunosuppressed individuals, or healthy adults.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3 |
| spellingShingle | Jenna M. Benoit Jessica A. Breznik Ying Wu Allison Kennedy Li-Min Liu Braeden Cowbrough Barbara Baker Megan Hagerman Catherine M. Andary Maha Mushtaha Nora Abdalla Jamie D. McNicol Gail Gauvreau Paul Y. Kim Judah A. Denburg Andrew P. Costa Darryl P. Leong Ishac Nazy MyLinh Duong Jonathan L. Bramson Maggie J. Larché Chris P. Verschoor Dawn M. E. Bowdish No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations Nature Communications |
| title | No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| title_full | No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| title_fullStr | No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| title_short | No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| title_sort | no evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated sars cov 2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3 |
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