Intracellular enteric infections are a global problem resulting in millions of hospitalizations and deaths every year. CD8 T cells are potent cytotoxic cells that control intracellular infection, and as such, represent a potential population to targetfor therapeutics and vaccine development. With this in mind, considerable characterizations, encompassing many aspects of CD8 T cell immunobiology, have resulted in substantial increases in our general understanding of CD8 T cell function. Up until recently, the paradigm for memory CD8 T cell function upon pathogen challenge centered on the hypothesis that memory CD8 T cell responses were predominantly generated within secondary lymphoid tissue. However, newer reports have highlighted important functions of memory CD8 T cells outside of secondary lymphoid tissue. For instance, it has recently been shown that memory CD8 T cells within nonlymphoid tissues provide important and potent early responses to local pathogen challenge. The mechanism by which this occurs is still not entirely understood, nor is it known how these responses are related to ones generated by CD8 T cells outside of the infected tissue. Moving forward, it will be critical to understand whether these responses within infected tissues operate in cooperative versus parallel manners with CD8 T cells outside of the infected site. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that there exist multiple populations of memory CD8 T cells outside of tissues that differentially migrate into the small intestine under homeostatic conditions and during states of inflammation. Further, these memory CD8 T cells may provide an important, early wave of cytotoxic responses within the small intestine. Therefore, my specific aims will 1) determine the functionality and importance of these different populations in response to pathogen challenge; 2) determine the stability and trafficking patterns of these different populations of CD8 T cell memory. This proposal supports the mission of the NIDDK because it focuses understanding memory CD8 T cell responses to intracellular gastrointestinal infections. With a better understanding of memory CD8 T cell function in the small intestine, could provide important information for rational vaccine design targeting CD8 T cells.

Public Health Relevance

.Viral gastroenteritis causes millions of hospitalizations and deaths globally. CD8 T cells elicit potent effector function against intracellular pathogens, and could be harnessed in vaccine design. This project focuses on understanding and defining the function of different populations of memory CD8 T cells within the small intestine.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (ADAMHA) (F30)
Project #
5F30DK100159-03
Application #
8904663
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDK1-GRB-2 (M1))
Program Officer
Densmore, Christine L
Project Start
2013-08-01
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2016-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$48,120
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
555917996
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Schenkel, Jason M; Fraser, Kathryn A; Casey, Kerry A et al. (2016) IL-15-Independent Maintenance of Tissue-Resident and Boosted Effector Memory CD8 T Cells. J Immunol 196:3920-6
Pauken, Kristen E; Sammons, Morgan A; Odorizzi, Pamela M et al. (2016) Epigenetic stability of exhausted T cells limits durability of reinvigoration by PD-1 blockade. Science 354:1160-1165
Manlove, Luke S; Schenkel, Jason M; Manlove, Kezia R et al. (2016) Heterologous Vaccination and Checkpoint Blockade Synergize To Induce Antileukemia Immunity. J Immunol 196:4793-804
Balfour Jr, Henry H; Dunmire, Samantha K; Hogquist, Kristin A (2015) Infectious mononucleosis. Clin Transl Immunology 4:e33
Steinert, Elizabeth M; Schenkel, Jason M; Fraser, Kathryn A et al. (2015) Quantifying Memory CD8 T Cells Reveals Regionalization of Immunosurveillance. Cell 161:737-49
Pauken, Kristen E; Nelson, Christine E; Martinov, Tijana et al. (2015) Cutting edge: identification of autoreactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets resistant to PD-1 pathway blockade. J Immunol 194:3551-3555
Beura, Lalit K; Anderson, Kristin G; Schenkel, Jason M et al. (2015) Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus persistence promotes effector-like memory differentiation and enhances mucosal T cell distribution. J Leukoc Biol 97:217-25
Schenkel, Jason M; Fraser, Kathryn A; Masopust, David (2014) Cutting edge: resident memory CD8 T cells occupy frontline niches in secondary lymphoid organs. J Immunol 192:2961-4
Sakai, Shunsuke; Kauffman, Keith D; Schenkel, Jason M et al. (2014) Cutting edge: control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by a subset of lung parenchyma-homing CD4 T cells. J Immunol 192:2965-9
Mahmud, Shawn A; Manlove, Luke S; Schmitz, Heather M et al. (2014) Costimulation via the tumor-necrosis factor receptor superfamily couples TCR signal strength to the thymic differentiation of regulatory T cells. Nat Immunol 15:473-81

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