Corneal tissue-resident memory T cells form a unique immune compartment at the ocular surface

Joon Keit Loi; Yannick O Alexandre; Kirthana Senthil; Dominik Schienstock; Sarah Sandford; Sapna Devi; Susan N Christo; Laura K Mackay; Holly R Chinnery; Peregrine B Osborne; Laura E Downie; Erica K Sloan; Scott N Mueller

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110852

Corneal tissue-resident memory T cells form a unique immune compartment at the ocular surface

Cell Rep. 2022 May 24;39(8):110852. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110852.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
² Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
³ Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁴ Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Division of Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁵ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: smue@unimelb.edu.au.

PMID: 35613584
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110852

Abstract

The eye is considered immune privileged such that immune responses are dampened to protect vision. As the most anterior compartment of the eye, the cornea is exposed to pathogens and can mount immune responses that recruit effector T cells. However, presence of immune memory in the cornea is not defined. Here, we use intravital 2-photon microscopy to examine T cell responses in the cornea in mice. We show that recruitment of CD8⁺ T cells in response to ocular virus infection results in the formation of tissue-resident memory T (T_RM) cells. Motile corneal T_RM cells patrol the cornea and rapidly respond in situ to antigen rechallenge. CD103⁺ T_RM cell generation requires antigen and transforming growth factor β. In vivo imaging in humans also reveals highly motile cells that patrol the healthy cornea. Our study finds that T_RM cells form in the cornea where they can provide local protective immunity.

Keywords: CP: Immunology; cornea; herpes simplex virus; immune memory; infection; intravital 2-photon microscopy; in vivo confocal microscopy; ocular immunity; tissue-resident memory T cells.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Animals
Antigens
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes*
Cornea
Immunologic Memory*
Memory T Cells
Mice

Substances

Antigens