New research led by Dr. Andrea Mastrangelo at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois unveils a distinct transcriptomic signature in lymph node (LN) HIV-specific CD8 T cells of HIV controllers. Unlike chronic HIV-infected individuals (CHI), controllers exhibited an enriched population of stem-like CD8 T cells marked by TCF7, IL7R, and BACH2, which may contribute to proliferative potential and effective viral control.
Additionally, CXCR5+ follicular-homing CD8 T cells in controllers displayed fewer exhaustion markers compared to CHI, emphasizing their potential role in long-term immune surveillance. Fascinatingly, controllers’ TCR repertoire evolved over time, expanding subdominant clonotypes with traces of recent TCR engagement, suggesting a dynamic immune adaptation against HIV.
This study sheds light on how immune resilience shapes long-term HIV control, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies!
A huge thanks to Dr. Mastrangelo and his team for their dedication to unraveling the complexities of HIV-specific immunity!
