CLEC5A Activation in Inflammatory Monocytes: A Mechanism for Enhanced Adaptive Immunity Following COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in a Preclinical Study.

Abstract

Background: CLEC5A is a C-type lectin expressed by monocytes and neutrophils, playing an important role in innate immunity. Although it has been shown to interact with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, its role during vaccination remains poorly understood.

Methods: To address this question, we combined in vitro assays to characterize CLEC5A and spike expression and their impact on monocyte differentiation and T-cell activation; in vivo studies to evaluate CLEC5A expression, immune responses, and vaccine efficacy in a murine model; and in silico analyses to identify potential spike epitopes and CLEC5A interaction sites.

Results: The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent mRNA vaccine induced spike expression and CLEC5A upregulation in THP-1 monocytes, promoting M1-like differentiation and CD86⁺ activation. In PBMC co-cultures, CLEC5A⁺ monocytes acted as antigen-presenting cells, releasing inflammatory chemokines and activating both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, thereby linking CLEC5A expression to adaptive immunity. In mice, CLEC5A expression was observed on inflammatory monocytes (CCR2⁺CX3CR1^low) within two days of vaccination. In vivo, CLEC5A expression increased during SARS-CoV-2 infection and after immunization, but declined following viral challenge in vaccinated animals. Consistently, robust humoral and cellular responses were detected post-immunization. In silico analysis further suggested differential CLEC5A binding across B- and T-cell epitopes within the spike glycoprotein.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that CLEC5A may play a role in bridging innate and adaptive immune responses during SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Although further studies with different vaccine platforms are necessary to confirm and expand these observations, our results provide preliminary evidence supporting the potential of CLEC5A as an exploratory biomarker of vaccine-induced immunity.