Spatial topology and competitive access differentially shape early T cell priming in the lymph node: an agent-based...

Adaptive immune activation in lymph nodes requires rare antigen-specific naïve T cells to locate antigen-bearing dendritic cells within a spatially structured stromal network. Reduced priming efficiency is typically attributed to weak T cell receptor signaling, yet it remains unclear whether failure arises from impaired signaling or from limited access to antigen-bearing dendritic cells during early scanning.

We developed COORDINATE, a spatially explicit agent-based model of lymph node microanatomy that integrates fibroblastic reticular cell topology, chemokine-guided migration, and competition for dendritic cell access.

We show that stromal architecture and trafficking biases strongly influence which T cells encounter antigen, while competition for limited dendritic cell access can exclude a substantial fraction of cells from forming any productive contact. Consequently, reduced activation can arise from failed clonal recruitment rather than diminished signaling following contact.

These results support a view of early T cell priming as an access-limited process and indicate that commonly used endpoint measurements can conflate failure to access antigen with failure to activate. Together, our findings suggest that improving early antigen access, rather than strengthening signaling alone, may represent an alternative strategy to enhance adaptive immune responses.