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In Vivo Augmentation of Gut-Homing Regulatory T Cell Induction
Published on: January 22, 2020
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Expansible residence decentralizes immune homeostasis
Sathi Wijeyesinghe1, Lalit K Beura1,2, Mark J Pierson1
1Center for Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Nature
|March 18, 2021
Summary
The immune system
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Tissue Homeostasis
Background:
- The adult immune system originates centrally but distributes throughout the body.
- Immune cells monitor the environment, maintain tissue health, and defend against pathogens.
- Understanding immune cell integration within tissues is crucial for organismal defense.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how immunity is integrated within adult mouse tissues.
- To explore the durability, expansibility, and contribution of immune cells to organ cellularity.
- To examine the role of tissue residence and organ pliancy in immune system homeostasis.
Main Methods:
- Tracking antiviral T cell immunity in mice.
- Utilizing parabiotic mouse models to study tissue-resident versus blood-borne immune cells.
- Assessing immune cell accretion after serial immunizations or cohousing.
Main Results:
- Resident memory T cells are maintained durably (up to 450 days) in tissues.
- Tissue pliancy allows for the accumulation of new resident memory cells without losing existing immunity.
- Many white blood cells adopt tissue-residency programs, with organs acting as pliant reservoirs for immune cell expansion.
Conclusions:
- Tissue residence and organ pliancy are fundamental to innate and adaptive immune homeostasis.
- The immune system expands throughout life, with nonlymphoid organs supporting durable, tissue-autonomous immunity.
- Immune surveillance in nonlymphoid organs is characterized by residence, not just renewal or recirculation.
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