Immunity 2021[Dec]; 54 (12): 2681-2687 PMID34910934show ga
Antigenic drift refers to the evolutionary accumulation of amino acid substitutions in viral proteins selected by host adaptive immune systems as the virus circulates in a population. Antigenic drift can substantially limit the duration of immunity conferred by infection and vaccination. Here, I explain the factors contributing to the rapid antigenic drift of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and receptor proteins of other viruses and discuss the implications for SARS-CoV-2 evolution and immunity.