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TCF-1 regulates HIV-specific CD8+ T cell expansion capacity.

ABSTRACT: Although many HIV cure strategies seek to expand HIV-specific CD8+ T cells to control the virus, all are likely to fail if cellular exhaustion is not prevented. A loss in stem-like memory properties (i.e., the ability to proliferate and generate secondary effector cells) is a key feature of exhaustion; little is known, however, about how these properties are regulated in human virus-specific CD8+ T cells. We found that virus-specific CD8+ T cells from humans and nonhuman primates naturally controlling HIV/SIV infection express more of the transcription factor TCF-1 than noncontrollers. HIV-specific CD8+ T cell TCF-1 expression correlated with memory marker expression and expansion capacity and declined with antigenic stimulation. CRISPR-Cas9 editing of TCF-1 in human primary T cells demonstrated a direct role in regulating expansion capacity. Collectively, these data suggest that TCF-1 contributes to the regulation of the stem-like memory property of secondary expansion capacity of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells, and they provide a rationale for exploring the enhancement of this pathway in T cell-based therapeutic strategies for HIV.

SUBMITTER: Rutishauser RL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7934879 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Current shock-and-kill strategies for the eradication of the HIV-1 reservoir have resulted in blips of viremia but not in a decrease in the size of the latent reservoir in patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). This discrepancy could potentially be explained by an inability of the immune system to kill HIV-1-infected cells following the reversal of latency. Furthermore, some studies have suggested that certain latency-reversing agents (LRAs) may inhibit CD8+ T cell and natural killer (NK) cell responses. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that alpha interferon (IFN-?) could improve the function of NK cells from chronic progressors (CP) on ART. We show here that IFN-? treatment enhanced cytokine secretion, polyfunctionality, degranulation, and the cytotoxic potential of NK cells from healthy donors (HD) and CP. We also show that this cytokine enhanced the viral suppressive capacity of NK cells from HD and elite controllers or suppressors. Furthermore, IFN-? enhanced global CP CD8+ T cell cytokine responses and the suppressive capacity of ES CD8+ T cells. Our data suggest that IFN-? treatment may potentially be used as an immunomodulatory agent in HIV-1 cure strategies.IMPORTANCE Data suggest that HIV+ individuals unable to control infection fail to do so due to impaired cytokine production and/cytotoxic effector cell function. Consequently, the success of cure agendas such as the shock-and-kill strategy will probably depend on enhancing patient effector cell function. In this regard, NK cells are of particular interest since they complement the function of CD8+ T cells. Here, we demonstrate the ability of short-course alpha interferon (IFN-?) treatments to effectively enhance such effector functions in chronic progressor NK cells without inhibiting their general CD8+ T cell function. These results point to the possibility of exploring such short-course IFN-? treatments for the enhancement of effector cell function in HIV+ patients in future cure strategies.

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TCF-1 regulates HIV-specific CD8+ T cell expansion capacity.

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