The type I IFN-IL-27 axis promotes mRNA vaccine-induced CD8 ⁺ T cell responses

The ability of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-delivered mRNA vaccines to induce type I IFNs is critical to promote CD8 ⁺ T cell responses. The studies presented here indicate that immunization with nucleoside modified mRNA-LNP vaccines drives myeloid cell expression of the cytokine IL-27, which acts on antigen-specific CD8 ⁺ T cells to sustain T cell expansion. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that type I IFN signaling is necessary for mRNA-LNP-induced IL-27 production, that immunization failed in IL-27 KO mice, and that immunization of IFNAR1-deficient mice with mRNA-LNP particles that also encode IL-27 mRNA restored antigen-specific CD8 ⁺ T cell responses. In addition, IL-27 mRNA-LNPs served as an adjuvant that improved cytolytic CD8 ⁺ T cell responses and the therapeutic efficacy of mRNA-LNPs to drive anti-pathogen and anti-tumor immunity. These studies highlight the central role of IL-27 in mRNA-LNP induced CD8 ⁺ T cell responses and the ability of this cytokine to augment the functionality of the CD8 ⁺ T cell response for prophylactic or therapeutic immunization.