When a human or animal becomes infected, the body's immune system not only works to clear the infection but also builds a memory of the disease-causing pathogen. The purpose of this is simple: if the pathogen tries to infect the body again, the memory T cells are primed to recognize it and destroy it. These T cells play a key role in immune memory and are an integral component of effective vaccines.
University of Missouri researchers have discovered a way to enhance immune memory that could lead to more effective vaccines and treatments for influenza and other diseases. Image credit: Ben Stewart, University of Missouri
Researchers at the University of Missouri have made significant progress in strengthening this T-cell army. In a recent study conducted at the Roy Blunt Next Gen Precision Health Building, they found that the strength and duration of immune memory can be enhanced by manipulating a specific molecular signaling pathway in T cells. These T cells are involved in clearing influenza viruses from the lungs.
T cells recognize parts of viruses that don't mutate, so if researchers can better understand how to strengthen T cells and extend the time they work properly, the body's immune system could ultimately be better able to fight off infections and reduce their severity. Photo credit: Mark-Daniels/MU
This breakthrough discovery has the potential to support the future development of more effective vaccines and therapies to combat influenza and other respiratory infections, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the body's immune memory to prevent and reduce the severity of infection and reinfection.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was led by Emma Teixeiro and Mark A. Daniels, associate professors at MIT Medical School. This study utilized a unique mouse model to study influenza infection.
"Immunologists like me have always wondered why T cells in the lungs disappear so quickly after influenza infection," Teixeiro said. "This study can help us solve this problem and increase the number of T cells capable of fighting infection. In this study, we discovered a new way to improve the generation and long-term maintenance of protective immunity against influenza by manipulating a molecular target called the IKK2/NFkB signaling pathway."
Emma Teixeiro, associate professor at the MU School of Medicine, led the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Photo credit: Mark-Daniels/MU
Teixeiro added that T cells can recognize parts of the virus that have not mutated, so if researchers can better understand how to strengthen T cells and extend the time they work properly, the body's immune system will eventually be better suited to fighting infections and reducing their severity.
While influenza viruses were the focus of this study, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that regulate tissue memory could help improve treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmunity, or other respiratory infections.
"By uncovering the biochemical and molecular secrets of these T cells, we can provide valuable information to other scientists working on optimizing vaccine strategies," Teixeiro said. "The good news is that there are already clinical treatments that target this specific pathway we discovered, so this study is a big step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go."
"IKK2/NFkB signaling controls lung-resident CD8+ T cell memory during influenza infection" was recently published in Nature Communications. Co-authors of the study include Curtis J. Pritzl, Dezzarae Luera, Karin M. Knudson, Michael J. Quaney, Michael J. Calcutt and Mark A. Daniels.