• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.19
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• 2020

Acute viral infection or vaccination generates highly functional memory CD8 T cells following the Ag resolution. In contrast, persistent antigenic stimulation in chronic viral infection and cancer leads to a state of T-cell dysfunction termed T-cell exhaustion. We and other have recently identified a novel subset of exhausted CD8 T cells that act as stem cells for maintaining virus-specific CD8 T cells in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. This stem cell-like CD8 T-cell subset has been also observed in both mouse and human tumor models. Most importantly, in both chronic viral infection and tumor models, the proliferative burst of Ag-specific CD8 T cells driven by PD-1-directed immunotherapy comes exclusively from this stem cell-like CD8 T-cell subset. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms how CD8 T-cell subsets are regulated during chronic viral infection and cancer is required to improve the current immunotherapies that restore the function of exhausted CD8 T cells. In this review, we discuss the differentiation of virus-specific CD8 T cells during chronic viral infection, the characteristics and function of CD8 T-cell subsets, and the therapeutic intervention of PD-1-directed immunotherapy in cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 2024

Background: Although the survival outcomes of childhood cancer patients have improved, childhood cancer survivors suffer from various degrees of immune dysfunction or delayed immune reconstitution. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on T cell recovery in childhood cancer patients who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) from the perspective of inflammatory and senescent phenotypes. Methods: This was a single-arm exploratory trial. The KRG group (n = 15) received KRG powder from month 1 to month 12 post-ASCT. We compared the results of the KRG group with those of the control group (n = 23). The proportions of T cell populations, senescent phenotypes, and cytokine production profiles were analyzed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-ASCT using peripheral blood samples. Results: All patients in the KRG group completed the treatment without any safety issues and showed a comparable T cell repopulation pattern to that in the control group. In particular, KRG administration influenced the repopulation of CD4⁺ T cells via T cell expansion and differentiation into effector memory cell re-expressing CD45RA (EMRA) cells. Although the KRG group showed an increase in the number of CD4⁺ EMRA cells, the expression of senescent and exhausted markers in these cells decreased, and the capacity for senescence-related cytokine production in the senescent CD28^- subset was ameliorated. Conclusions: These findings suggest that KRG promotes the repopulation of CD4⁺ EMRA T cells and regulates phenotypical and functional senescent changes after ASCT in pediatric patients with cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.287-292
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• 2024

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the predominant primary hepatic malignancy, is the prime contributor to mortality. Despite the availability of multiple surgical interventions, patient outcomes remain suboptimal. Immunotherapies have emerged as effective strategies for HCC treatment with multiple clinical advantages. However, their curative efficacy is not always satisfactory, limited by the dysfunctional T cell status. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel potential biomarkers indicative of T cell exhaustion (Tex) for personalized immunotherapies. One promising target is Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 (CDKN2) gene, a key cell cycle regulator with aberrant expression in HCC. However, its specific involvement remains unclear. Herein, we assessed the potential of CDKN2 expression as a promising biomarker for HCC progression, particularly for exhausted T cells. Our transcriptome analysis of CDKN2 in HCC revealed its significant role involving in HCC development. Remarkably, single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed a notable correlation between CDKN2 expression, particularly CDKN2A, and Tex markers, which was further validated by a human cohort study using human HCC tissue microarray, highlighting CDKN2 expression as a potential biomarker for Tex within the intricate landscape of HCC progression. These findings provide novel perspectives that hold promise for addressing the unmet therapeutic need within HCC treatment.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.17.1-17.10
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• 2021

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic dilation of the aorta with a tendency to enlarge and eventually rupture, which constitutes a major cause of cardiovascular mortality. Although T-cell infiltrates have been observed in AAA, the cellular, phenotypic, and functional characteristics of these tissue-infiltrating T cells are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the proportional changes of T-cell subsets-including CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, and γδ T cells-and their effector functions in AAAs. We found that Vδ2⁺ T cells were presented at a higher frequency in aortic aneurysmal tissue compared to normal aortic tissue and PBMCs from patients with AAA. In contrast, no differences were observed in the frequencies of CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and Vδ1⁺ T cells. Moreover, we observed that the Vδ2⁺ T cells from AAA tissue displayed immunophenotypes indicative of CCR5⁺ non-exhausted effector memory cells, with a decreased proportion of CD16⁺ cells. Finally, we found that these Vδ2⁺ T cells were the main source of IL-17A in abdominal aortic aneurysmal tissue. In conclusion, our results suggest that increased Vδ2⁺ T cells that robustly produce IL-17A in aortic aneurysmal tissue may contribute to AAA pathogenesis and progression.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.264-274
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• 2013

The unrestricted population of $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which have been known to control the expression of autoimmune diseases and protective immunity to inflammatory reactions, has led to greater appreciation of functional plasticity. Detecting and/or isolating Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs at the single cell level are required to study their function and plasticity. In this study, we established and compared both MHC class II tetramer and intracellular CD154 staining, in order to detect $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg specific for foreign Ag in acute and chronic infections with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Our results revealed that MHC class II tetramer staining showed a lower detection rate of LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells because most of MHC class II tetramers were unbound and unstable when combined staining was performed with intracellular cytokines. In contrast, intracellular CD154 staining was revealed to be easier and simple for detecting LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells, compared to MHC class II tetramer staining. Subsequently, we employed intracellular CD154 staining to detect LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs using $Foxp3^{GFP}$ knock-in mouse, and found that LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs and polyclonal $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs showed differential expansion in mice infected with LCMV Arms or Cl13 at acute (8 and 13 days pi) and chronic phases (35 days pi). Therefore, our results provide insight into the valuable use of intracellular CD154 staining to detect and characterize foreign Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg in various models.