If the Phase 1 trial participants were vaccinated for COVID-19 while some of their T cells were outside the body being turned into AGT103-T, do they need a booster shot after infusion with AGT103-T?
Do participants in the Phase 1 HIV clinical trial who underwent leukapheresis before receiving a COVID vaccine need a COVID booster after they are re-infused with modified CD4 cells that have not been exposed to the vaccine?
The COVID vaccine activates a large number of cells throughout the body, and many will be within tissues. The leukapheresis collected only a fraction of total lymphocytes, so most were left behind including COVID-immune cells. In addition, all of the CD4 T cells are returned to the patient during the cell infusion, with the HIV-specific CD4 T cells now greatly increased in number. This applies to all COVID vaccines.