HMGB2 regulates the differentiation and stemness of exhausted CD8+ T cells during chronic viral infection and cancer

Autor: Emily N. Neubert, Julia M. DeRogatis, Sloan A. Lewis, Karla M. Viramontes, Pedro Ortega, Monique L. Henriquez, Rémi Buisson, Ilhem Messaoudi, Roberto Tinoco
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-17 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41352-0
Popis: Abstract Chronic infections and cancers evade the host immune system through mechanisms that induce T cell exhaustion. The heterogeneity within the exhausted CD8+ T cell pool has revealed the importance of stem-like progenitor (Tpex) and terminal (Tex) exhausted T cells, although the mechanisms underlying their development are not fully known. Here we report High Mobility Group Box 2 (HMGB2) protein expression is upregulated and sustained in exhausted CD8+ T cells, and HMGB2 expression is critical for their differentiation. Through epigenetic and transcriptional programming, we identify HMGB2 as a cell-intrinsic regulator of the differentiation and maintenance of Tpex cells during chronic viral infection and in tumors. Despite Hmgb2 −/− CD8+ T cells expressing TCF-1 and TOX, these master regulators were unable to sustain Tpex differentiation and long-term survival during persistent antigen. Furthermore, HMGB2 also had a cell-intrinsic function in the differentiation and function of memory CD8+ T cells after acute viral infection. Our findings show that HMGB2 is a key regulator of CD8+ T cells and may be an important molecular target for future T cell-based immunotherapies.
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