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| Home > Publications database > The Memory Inflation Response Against Spread-Defective CMV Requires Priming-Independent CD4+ T Cell Help. |
| Home > Publications database > The Memory Inflation Response Against Spread-Defective CMV Requires Priming-Independent CD4+ T Cell Help. |
| Journal Article | DKFZ-2026-01483 |
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2026
Wiley-VCH
Weinheim
Abstract: Memory inflation (MI) is a distinctive CD8+ T cell response to chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, characterized by non-contracting, functional populations that are predominantly effector differentiated. Harnessing such responses has received growing attention as a promising vaccination strategy, using spread-defective CMV-vectors. However, many underlying mechanistic aspects of CD8+ MI responses, including their dependency on CD4+ T cell help, remain unclear. Using a Rag KO transfer model, we demonstrate that CD4+ T cells enhance effector differentiation of inflationary CD8+ T cells when present during priming, or when introduced at late timepoints post-infection, indicating a continuous, priming-independent support mechanism. This helper requirement was specific to spread-defective CMV infection, whereas spread-competent virus induced MI even in the absence of CD4+ T cells. We confirmed the importance of continuous support in wild-type mice, where late CD4 depletion attenuated an established MI response. Gene set enrichment analysis implicates IFNγ, TNF, and IL-1 signaling as potential mediators of CD4+ T cell support. Our findings clarify CD4+ T cell help requirements for maintaining effector populations in MI during chronic antigen exposure. These results have particular relevance for spread-defective CMV-based vaccination strategies and T cell-based therapies in which the persistence and expansion characteristic of MI are desirable qualities.
Keyword(s): Animals (MeSH) ; Immunologic Memory: immunology (MeSH) ; Mice (MeSH) ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes: immunology (MeSH) ; Cytomegalovirus Infections: immunology (MeSH) ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes: immunology (MeSH) ; Mice, Knockout (MeSH) ; Cytomegalovirus: immunology (MeSH) ; Mice, Inbred C57BL (MeSH) ; Interferon-gamma (MeSH) ; CD8 ; T cell ; antigen ; biology ; cytotoxic T cell ; effector ; immunology ; vaccination ; virus ; Interferon-gamma
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