Understanding the mechanisms associated with the induction and preservation of immunological memory is needed for the comprehension of how the immune system controls viral infections, how viral infections alter immune system function, and how effective, long-lasting vaccines can best be designed. Our studies with viruses in murine systems have shown that CD8 T cell memory is normally stable, but that this stability is disrupted by other pathogens, whose infections contribute to a loss in memory. Superimposed on this process is the degeneracy of T cell recognition, which allows T cells to often cross-react between unrelated viruses, thereby resulting in an enrichment in cross-reactive T cells in the memory pool. Memory T cells laid down as a consequence of one infection can influence protective immunity and immunopathology associated with a second infection with an unrelated virus, and we have referred to this phenomenon as T cell-dependent heterologous immunity and immunopathology. We have defined new model systems and assembled suitable reagents and molecular techniques to perform an in depth characterization of the evolution of cross-reactive and non-cross-reactive CD8 T cell responses during a series of viral infections and to make unique insights into the life, death, and affinity maturation of CD8 T cell populations in general. This proposal uses several viruses but focuses on lymphocytic choriomenigitis (LCMV) and Pichinde (PV) viruses, Old World and New World arenaviruses whose T cell responses are very well-defined, and on the poxvirus vaccinia (VV), which is used as a vaccine for small pox and as a recombinant vaccine and vector for many other antigens. We propose to explore the evolution of CD8 T cell responses in work supporting the following specific aims:
SPECIFIC AIM #1. To determine how the T cell repertoire evolves during sequential infections with acute and persistent viruses encoding cross-reactive epitopes.
SPECIFIC AIM #2. To determine which T cell functions occur in the absence of foreign antigen signaling.
SPECIFIC AIM #3. To resolve the complex patterns of memory T cell proliferation induced by VV-infection of LCMV-immune mice, as a model for heterologous immunity.
SPECIFIC AIM #4. To determine the basis for the deficiency of virus-specific T cells in the homeostatic reconstitution of lymphopenic environments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR035506-19
Application #
6886801
Study Section
Experimental Virology Study Section (EVR)
Program Officer
Gretz, Elizabeth
Project Start
2004-04-15
Project End
2008-12-31
Budget Start
2005-01-01
Budget End
2005-12-31
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$368,550
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Department
Pathology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
603847393
City
Worcester
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
01655
Waggoner, Stephen N; Cornberg, Markus; Selin, Liisa K et al. (2012) Natural killer cells act as rheostats modulating antiviral T cells. Nature 481:394-8
Selin, Liisa K; Wlodarczyk, Myriam F; Kraft, Anke R et al. (2011) Heterologous immunity: immunopathology, autoimmunity and protection during viral infections. Autoimmunity 44:328-47
Waggoner, Stephen N; Taniguchi, Ruth T; Mathew, Porunelloor A et al. (2010) Absence of mouse 2B4 promotes NK cell-mediated killing of activated CD8+ T cells, leading to prolonged viral persistence and altered pathogenesis. J Clin Invest 120:1925-38
Kang, Yoon-Joong; Wang, Xiaosong; Lin, Sue-Jane et al. (2010) An active CD8alpha/pMHCI interaction is required for CD8 single positive thymocyte differentiation. Eur J Immunol 40:836-48
Welsh, Raymond M; Che, Jenny W; Brehm, Michael A et al. (2010) Heterologous immunity between viruses. Immunol Rev 235:244-66
Brehm, M A; Daniels, K A; Priyadharshini, B et al. (2010) Allografts stimulate cross-reactive virus-specific memory CD8 T cells with private specificity. Am J Transplant 10:1738-48
Nie, Siwei; Lin, Sue-Jane; Kim, Sung-kwon et al. (2010) Pathological features of heterologous immunity are regulated by the private specificities of the immune repertoire. Am J Pathol 176:2107-12
Cornberg, Markus; Clute, Shalyn C; Watkin, Levi B et al. (2010) CD8 T cell cross-reactivity networks mediate heterologous immunity in human EBV and murine vaccinia virus infections. J Immunol 184:2825-38
Mangada, Julie; Pearson, Todd; Brehm, Michael A et al. (2009) Idd loci synergize to prolong islet allograft survival induced by costimulation blockade in NOD mice. Diabetes 58:165-73
Seedhom, Mina O; Jellison, Evan R; Daniels, Keith A et al. (2009) High frequencies of virus-specific CD8+ T-cell precursors. J Virol 83:12907-16

Showing the most recent 10 out of 88 publications