Characteristics of Norovirus Capsid Protein-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Responses in Previously Infected Individuals

Norovirus infection is the predominant etiological agent responsible for the sporadic and global outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. Although antibody-based studies have shown that producing a cross-protective immune effect is difficult, owing to the diversity and variability of the viral genotypes, human norovirus-specific T-cells, which constitute a combination of specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, were recently revealed to contribute to a robust cross-protective immune effect. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the response characteristics of norovirus (NV)-specific CD8+ T-cells in a population previously infected with NV and analyze the immunodominant CD8+ T-cell response profiles in capsid proteins, aiming to detect the candidate antigenic molecules from conservative CD8+ T-cell epitopes and thereby providing a theoretical basis for vaccine research against NV infection. Our results could contribute to the development of effective vaccines with protective epitopes, which could also serve as biomarkers for NV infection diagnosis and prognosis.