Adaptive Biotechnologies Identifies Signature of Viral Infection in Immune Repertoire

SAN FRANCISCO (GenomeWeb) – By sequencing the immune repertoires of more than 600 individuals, Adaptive Biotechnologies was able to identify a set of T cell receptor sequences associated with cytomegalovirus exposure. Those T cell receptor sequences were present at elevated levels in individuals exposed to the virus and absent in those who were not exposed.

The company published the results of the proof-of-principal study in Nature Genetics this week and is now applying the same approach to look for immune repertoire signatures in other diseases, according to Harlan Robins, head of innovation at Adaptive Biotechnologies.

Importantly, Robins said, the team found that there is "enough overlap in the adaptive immune response to be able to find enough shared T cell receptors to be able to diagnose the disease," he said.