Article abstract


Nature Immunology 10, 524 - 530 (2009)
Published online: 22 March 2009 | doi:10.1038/ni.1718

Memory T cells in nonlymphoid tissue that provide enhanced local immunity during infection with herpes simplex virus

Thomas Gebhardt1, Linda M Wakim1, Liv Eidsmo1, Patrick C Reading1, William R Heath1 & Francis R Carbone1


Effective immunity is dependent on long-surviving memory T cells. Various memory subsets make distinct contributions to immune protection, especially in peripheral infection. It has been suggested that T cells in nonlymphoid tissues are important during local infection, although their relationship with populations in the circulation remains poorly defined. Here we describe a unique memory T cell subset present after acute infection with herpes simplex virus that remained resident in the skin and in latently infected sensory ganglia. These T cells were in disequilibrium with the circulating lymphocyte pool and controlled new infection with this virus. Thus, these cells represent an example of tissue-resident memory T cells that can provide protective immunity at points of pathogen entry.

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Victoria, Australia.

Correspondence to: William R Heath1 e-mail: wrheath@unimelb.edu.au

Correspondence to: Francis R Carbone1 e-mail: fcarbone@unimelb.edu.au



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