T Cells As Antigen Biosensors: Leveraging Spectral Flow Cytometry To Interrogate Human Disease

Upon antigen encounter, rare populations of antigen-specific T cells are selectively activated and undergo changes that can be detected by flow cytometry. Some of these cells enter circulation and retain the hallmarks of recent activation. Thus, antigen-specific T cells isolated from blood can be used as exquisitely sensitive biosensors of viral antigens. Distinguishing these rare antigen-specific cells from the large majority of bystander T cells, however, often requires ex vivo stimulations that obscure the in vivo activation state of the cells. To this end, we have developed 35-color spectral flow cytometric assays using multiplexed HLA/peptide tetramers for dozens of viral peptides. This approach enables us to rigorously identify rare antigen-specific CD8 T cells in the blood while simultaneously characterizing the in vivo differentiation and activation states of these cells. We use these assays to study immunity to SARS-CoV-2 virus and to interrogate two leading hypotheses of the pathophysiology of long COVID: 1) persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in viral reservoirs and 2) dysregulation of immune responses to chronic viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).  Beyond acute infections and long COVID, we are now using these techniques to study virus-specific T cell responses in a variety of human disease conditions, including autoimmunity and cancer.  

Key topics discussed in this webinar will include:

• The benefits of using spectral flow cytometry to study T cell biology in blood and tissue samples
• Approaches to identify multiple virus-specific T cell populations simultaneously in human samples
• How dynamic changes in specific T cell populations can provide insights into the mechanisms driving disease

Who should attend:

• Anyone considering moving from conventional to spectral flow cytometry
• Those interested in the study of T cell biology in disease states
• Scientists using flow cytometry for immune monitoring in viral infections

For Research Use Only. Not intended for use in diagnostic procedures.