SARS-CoV-2 spike mutation L452R evades human immune response and enhances infectivity

(Kumamoto University) An international team of researchers led by Kumamoto and Tokyo Universities (Japan) have shown that the L452R mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is common to two variants (Epsilon and Delta), is involved in cellular immunity evasion via the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) A24, and enhances viral infectivity. HLA-A24 is one of the most prominent HLA-class I alleles, especially in East/Southeast Asian populations, which might make them particularly vulnerable to variants with the mutation.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news