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Published on: May 21, 2012
T cell memory. A local macrophage chemokine network sustains protective tissue-resident memory CD4 T cells
Norifumi Iijima1, Akiko Iwasaki2
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Abstract:
CD8 tissue-resident memory T (T(RM)) cells provide efficient local control of viral infection, but the role of CD4 T(RM) is less clear. Here, by using parabiotic mice, we show that a preexisting pool of CD4 T(RM) cells in the genital mucosa was required for full protection from a lethal herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection. Chemokines secreted by a local network of macrophages maintained vaginal CD4 T(RM) in memory lymphocyte clusters (MLCs), independently of circulating memory T cells. CD4 T(RM) cells within the MLCs were enriched in clones that expanded in response to HSV-2. Our results highlight the need for vaccine strategies that enable establishment of T(RM) cells for protection from a sexually transmitted virus and provide insights as to how such a pool might be established.
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