National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5R01AI170649-05

Control of antiviral memory CD8+ T cell longevity by extracellular ATP sensing

This award funds research to understand how extracellular ATP sensing via the P2RX7 receptor promotes the longevity of antiviral memory CD8+ T cells, particularly resident memory cells in the lungs, to improve antiviral therapies and vaccine design against influenza.

Description

Development of long-lived memory CD8+ T cells is paramount for the control of viral infections, such as influenza. The complete identification of extracellular factors promoting memory CD8+ T cells will favor the better design of CD8+ T cell-inducing immunizations and antiviral therapies. Notably, extracellular ATP (eATP) via its receptor P2RX7 promotes the generation and long-term survival of virus-specific memory CD8+ T cells, both in circulation (central memory cells – TCM) and in barrier tissues (resident memory cells – TRM). This project aims to understand how P2RX7 expression promotes TRM cell longevity, especially in the context of influenza infection.

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