The Differentiation and Maintenance of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Follicular Helper T Cells

Yifei Wang; Qin Tian; Lilin Ye

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2022.953022

The Differentiation and Maintenance of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Follicular Helper T Cells

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Jul 14:12:953022. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.953022. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yifei Wang¹, Qin Tian^{2

3}, Lilin Ye^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
² Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Institute of Immunology, The People's Liberation Army (PLA), Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Abstract

Upon acute viral infection, virus-specific CD4⁺ T cells differentiate into either T_H1 cells or follicular helper T (T_FH) cells. The molecular pathways governing such bimodal cell fate commitment remain elusive. Additionally, effector virus-specific T_FH cells further differentiate into corresponding memory population, which confer long-term protection against re-infection of same viruses by providing immediate help to virus-specific memory B cells. Currently, the molecular mechanisms underlying the long-term maintenance of memory T_FH cells are largely unknown. In this review, we discuss current understanding of early differentiation of virus-specific effector T_FH cells and long-term maintenance of virus-specific memory T_FH cells in mouse models of viral infection and patients of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Keywords: CD4+ T cell; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2.; Viral infection; follicular helper T cell.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
COVID-19*
Cell Differentiation
Mice
SARS-CoV-2
T Follicular Helper Cells
T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
Virus Diseases* / metabolism