Tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells continuously patrol skin epithelia to quickly recognize local antigen

S. Ariotti, J.B. Beltman, G. Chodaczek, M.E. Hoekstra, A.E. van Beek, R. Gomez-Eerland, L. Ritsma, J. van Rheenen, A.F. Maree, T. Zal, R.J. de Boer, J.B. Haanen, T.N. Schumacher

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodicalArticleScientificpeer-review

212 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Recent work has demonstrated that following the clearance of infection a stable population of memory T cells remains present in peripheral organs and contributes to the control of secondary infections. However, little is known about how tissue-resident memory T cells behave in situ and how they encounter newly infected target cells. Here we demonstrate that antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells that remain in skin following herpes simplex virus infection show a steady-state crawling behavior in between keratinocytes. Spatially explicit simulations of the migration of these tissue-resident memory T cells indicate that the migratory dendritic behavior of these cells allows the detection of antigen-expressing target cells in physiologically relevant time frames of minutes to hours. Furthermore, we provide direct evidence for the identification of rare antigen-expressing epithelial cells by skin-patrolling memory T cells in vivo. These data demonstrate the existence of skin patrol by memory T cells and reveal the value of this patrol in the rapid detection of renewed infections at a previously infected site.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19739-19744
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume109
Issue number48
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

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