Reduced generation of lung tissue-resident memory T cells during infancy.
J Exp Med 2017;
214:2915-2932. [PMID:
28855242 PMCID:
PMC5626403 DOI:
10.1084/jem.20170521]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Zens et al. demonstrate a deficiency in the establishment of protective lung tissue-resident memory T cells following respiratory infection during infancy that is T cell intrinsic and can be ameliorated by reduced expression of T-bet during infection. These findings reveal a potential mechanism for increased susceptibility to infection in infancy and identify T-bet as a mediator of TRM generation in early life.
Infants suffer disproportionately from respiratory infections and generate reduced vaccine responses compared with adults, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In adult mice, lung-localized, tissue-resident memory T cells (TRMs) mediate optimal protection to respiratory pathogens, and we hypothesized that reduced protection in infancy could be due to impaired establishment of lung TRM. Using an infant mouse model, we demonstrate generation of lung-homing, virus-specific T effectors after influenza infection or live-attenuated vaccination, similar to adults. However, infection during infancy generated markedly fewer lung TRMs, and heterosubtypic protection was reduced compared with adults. Impaired TRM establishment was infant–T cell intrinsic, and infant effectors displayed distinct transcriptional profiles enriched for T-bet–regulated genes. Notably, mouse and human infant T cells exhibited increased T-bet expression after activation, and reduction of T-bet levels in infant mice enhanced lung TRM establishment. Our findings reveal that infant T cells are intrinsically programmed for short-term responses, and targeting key regulators could promote long-term, tissue-targeted protection at this critical life stage.
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