tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Nat Commun
. 2025 Jun 5;16(1):5219.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3. No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations
Jenna M Benoit[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Jessica A Breznik[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Ying Wu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Allison Kennedy[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Li-Min Liu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Braeden Cowbrough[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Barbara Baker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Megan Hagerman[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Catherine M Andary[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Maha Mushtaha[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nora Abdalla[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jamie D McNicol[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Gail Gauvreau[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paul Y Kim[SUP] 1 6 [/SUP], Judah A Denburg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrew P Costa[SUP] 4 7 [/SUP], Darryl P Leong[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Ishac Nazy[SUP] 8 [/SUP], MyLinh Duong[SUP] 1 3 4 5 [/SUP], Jonathan L Bramson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Maggie J Larché[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chris P Verschoor[SUP] 9 10 [/SUP], Dawn M E Bowdish[SUP] 11 12 13 14 [/SUP]
Affiliations
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[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] 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.
. 2025 Jun 5;16(1):5219.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3. No evidence of immune exhaustion after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations
Jenna M Benoit[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Jessica A Breznik[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Ying Wu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Allison Kennedy[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Li-Min Liu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Braeden Cowbrough[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Barbara Baker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Megan Hagerman[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Catherine M Andary[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Maha Mushtaha[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nora Abdalla[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jamie D McNicol[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Gail Gauvreau[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paul Y Kim[SUP] 1 6 [/SUP], Judah A Denburg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrew P Costa[SUP] 4 7 [/SUP], Darryl P Leong[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Ishac Nazy[SUP] 8 [/SUP], MyLinh Duong[SUP] 1 3 4 5 [/SUP], Jonathan L Bramson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Maggie J Larché[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chris P Verschoor[SUP] 9 10 [/SUP], Dawn M E Bowdish[SUP] 11 12 13 14 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 40473598
- PMCID: PMC12141600
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60216-3
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[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] 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.