Priming of CD8⁺ T cells by peripheral dendritic cells exacerbates tau-mediated neurodegeneration

Alzheimer's disease and primary tauopathies are marked by changes in adaptive immunity, with increased brain CD8⁺ T cells correlating with tau pathology severity. However, how peripheral T cells get primed to enter the brain and contribute to tau-mediated neurodegeneration remains unclear. In different disease conditions, conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) cross-present antigens to prime CD8⁺ T cells into effector cells. We show that tauopathy mice lacking cDC1s or antigen cross-presentation are protected from neurodegeneration, with reduced brain CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and glial activation. The remaining CD8⁺ T cells exhibit limited clonal expansion, consistent with impaired priming. We further demonstrate that brain-derived antigens are presented in secondary lymphoid tissues, suggesting a site of T cell activation. Together, these findings establish cDC1-dependent peripheral priming as a key driver of CD8⁺ T cell accumulation in the brain and tau-mediated neurodegeneration.