Adoptive immunity mediated by HLA-A*0201 restricted Asp f16 peptides-specific CD8+T cells against Aspergillus fumigatus infection

Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is the most common pathogen of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. Recent findings revealed that CD8+ T cells can mediate cytotoxic activity against A. fumigatus. Here, we bioinformatically identified three HLA-A*0201-restricted peptides from Asp f16, an A. fumigatus antigen which was previously shown to be involved in T cell immunity. Our immunological results demonstrated that these peptides can potently induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in CD8+ T cells, thus, damaging the conidia and hyphae of A. fumigatus. Moreover, the Asp f16 peptides can also raise Th1 cell-like response, as measured by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT). Furthermore, we established an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis model in HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice. Adoptive transfer of Asp f16 peptides-specific CTL significantly extended the overall survival time in the A. fumigatus-infected immunocompromised mice. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the Asp f16 peptides might provide immunity against invasive A. fumigatus infection.