Emory scientists find marker for long-ter...( of CD8 T cells generated during an acut...),Health

In experiments with mice, the Emory scientists found that at the peak of the CD8 T cell immune response during an acute viral infection a small subset of effector cells had a higher expression of the IL-7 receptor, and they hypothesized that these cells would be the ones to survive as memory cells. They transferred a group of cells with and without this distinguishing characteristic into mice that were unexposed to virus, and found that in fact the cells expressing IL-7 receptor survived and differentiated into long-lived memory cells. They also found that IL-7 signals were necessary for the survival of these cells.

"We can consider the IL-7 receptor a marker of 'cellular fitness' for long-term survival and functionality," says Dr. Kaech. "This new knowledge should help us in assessing and predicting the number and quality of memory T cells that will be generated after infection or immunization. It also could lead to the identification of additional markers of memory cells and provide a more comprehensive picture of memory cell development."

"As scientists struggle to create long-term, effective vaccines for difficult diseases, they need a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of long-term memory," says Dr. Ahmed. "Understanding immune memory is the necessary basis for developing any type of effective vaccine. In addition, these findings could help in designing immunotherapies to control chronic viral infections and cancer."

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Contact: Holly Korschun
hkorsch@emory.edu
404-727-3990
Emory University Health Sciences Center
20-Nov-2003