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Defining T Cell Tissue Residency in Humans: Implications for HIV Pathogenesis and Vaccine Design
Abstract
Purpose of review
This review summarizes recent literature defining tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) and discusses implications for HIV pathogenesis, vaccines, and eradication efforts.Recent findings
Investigations using animal models and human tissues have identified a TRM transcriptional profile and elucidated signals within the tissue microenvironment leading to TRM development and maintenance. TRM are major contributors to host response in infectious diseases and cancer; in addition, TRM contribute to pathogenic inflammation in a variety of settings. Although TRM are daunting to study in HIV infection, recent work has helped define their molecular signatures and effector functions and tested strategies for their mobilization. Exclusive reliance on blood sampling to gain an understanding of host immunity overlooks the contribution of TRM, which differ in significant ways from their counterparts in circulation. It is hoped that greater understanding of these cells will lead to novel approaches to prevent and/or eradicate HIV infection.Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.