Abstract
The monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak confirmed in May 2022 in non-endemic countries is raising concern about the pandemic potential of novel orthopoxviruses. Little is known regarding MPXV immunity in the context of MPXV infection or vaccination with vaccinia-based vaccines (VACV). As with vaccinia, Tcells are likely to provide an important contribution to overall immunity to MPXV. Here, we leveraged the epitope information available in the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) on VACV to predict potential MPXV targets recognized by CD4+ and CD8+ Tcell responses. We found a high degree of conservation between VACV epitopes and MPXV and defined Tcell immunodominant targets. These analyses enabled the design of peptide pools able to experimentally detect VACV-specific Tcell responses and MPXV cross-reactive Tcells in a cohort of vaccinated individuals. Our findings will facilitate the monitoring of cellular immunity following MPXV infection and vaccination.
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