Rapid GMP-compliant expansion of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells from convalescent donors for use as an allogeneic cell therapy for COVID-19

Cooper, Rachel S; Fraser, Alasdair R; Smith, Linda; Burgoyne, Paul; Imlach, Stuart N; Jarvis, Lisa M; Zahara, Sharon; Turner, Marc L; Campbell, John DM

COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is characterized by dysregulation of effector T cells and accumulation of exhausted T cells. T cell responses to viruses can be corrected by adoptive cellular therapy using donor-derived virus-specific T cells. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2-exposed blood donations contain CD4 and CD8 memory T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 spike, nucleocapsid and membrane antigens. These peptides can be used to isolate virus-specific T cells in a GMP-compliant process. These T cells can be rapidly expanded using GMP-compliant reagents for use as a therapeutic product. Memory and effector phenotypes are present in the selected virus-specific T cells, but our method rapidly expands the desirable central memory phenotype. A manufacturing yield ranging from 1010 to 1011 T cells can be obtained within 21 days culture. Thus, multiple therapeutic doses of virus-specific T cells can be rapidly generated from convalescent donors for treatment of COVID-19 patients One Sentence SummaryCD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 can be isolated from convalescent donors and rapidly expanded to therapeutic doses at GMP standard, maintaining the desired central memory phenotype required for protective immune responses against severe COVID-19 infections.