CD4 T and NKT cell help in the generation of CD8 T cell memory precursors

• Antragsteller: Dr. Matthias Hofmann
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Immunologie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2005 bis 2007
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 13839479

It is generally accepted that memory T cells are direct descendants of proliferating primary effector cells, but it is not understood why only a fraction survives and differentiates into long-lived memory T cells. Although CD4 T cell help is not required for the differentiation of naive CD8αβ+ T cells into effector cells, it was reported to be indispensable during primary activation for the generation of CD8αβ+ memory T cells. CD4 help is mediated via specific instructions to antigen-presenting cells (APC). CD1d-reactive NKT cells, which are the first in line to rapidly produce cytokines in response to innate signals, might also provide specific help to APC, because they induce a similar maturation of APC. The characterization of the instruction process has been hampered by the lack of specific markers to identify memory precursor cells. Recently, the CD8αα homodimer was shown to be transiently induced on a selected subset of activated cytotoxic CD8αβ+ T lymphocytes, which eventually differentiated into memory cells. In the proposed research project the significance of CD4 and NKT cell help in instructing primarily activated T cells to become CD8αα+ memory precursor T cells shall be analyzed. Characterization of the specific instructions and the timing of this instruction process might reveal why only a few effector CD8αβ+ T cells differentiate into memory cells.

• DFG-Verfahren: Forschungsstipendien
• Internationaler Bezug: USA
• Gastgeberin: Professorin Dr. Hilde Cheroutre