Human ACE2 receptor polymorphisms and altered susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The viral spike (S) protein engages the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to invade host cells with ~10-15-fold higher affinity compared to SARS-CoV S-protein, making it highly infectious. Here, we assessed if ACE2 polymorphisms can alter host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 by affecting this interaction.

A Synthetic DNA, Multi-Neoantigen Vaccine Drives Predominately MHC Class I CD8 T-cell Responses, Impacting Tumor Challenge.

T-cell recognition of cancer neoantigens is important for effective immune-checkpoint blockade therapy, and an increasing interest exists in developing personalized tumor neoantigen vaccines. Previous studies utilizing RNA and long-peptide neoantigen vaccines in preclinical and early-phase clinical studies have shown immune responses predominantly driven by MHC class II CD4 T cells. Here, we report on a preclinical study utilizing a DNA vaccine platform to target tumor neoantigens.