[HTML][HTML] Short lifespans of memory T-cells in bone marrow, blood, and lymph nodes suggest that T-cell memory is maintained by continuous self-renewal of …

M Baliu-Piqué, MW Verheij, J Drylewicz… - Frontiers in …, 2018 - frontiersin.org
M Baliu-Piqué, MW Verheij, J Drylewicz, L Ravesloot, RJ De Boer, A Koets, K Tesselaar…
Frontiers in immunology, 2018frontiersin.org
Memory T-cells are essential to maintain long-term immunological memory. It is widely
thought that the bone marrow (BM) plays an important role in the long-term maintenance of
memory T-cells. There is controversy however on the longevity and recirculating kinetics of
BM memory T-cells. While some have proposed that the BM is a reservoir for long-lived, non-
circulating memory T-cells, it has also been suggested to be the preferential site for memory
T-cell self-renewal. In this study, we used in vivo deuterium labeling in goats to …
Memory T-cells are essential to maintain long-term immunological memory. It is widely thought that the bone marrow (BM) plays an important role in the long-term maintenance of memory T-cells. There is controversy however on the longevity and recirculating kinetics of BM memory T-cells. While some have proposed that the BM is a reservoir for long-lived, non-circulating memory T-cells, it has also been suggested to be the preferential site for memory T-cell self-renewal. In this study, we used in vivo deuterium labeling in goats to simultaneously quantify the average turnover rates—and thereby expected lifespans—of memory T-cells from BM, blood and lymph nodes (LN). While the fraction of Ki-67 positive cells, a snapshot marker for recent cell division, was higher in memory T-cells from blood compared to BM and LN, in vivo deuterium labeling revealed no substantial differences in the expected lifespans of memory T-cells between these compartments. Our results support the view that the majority of memory T-cells in the BM are self-renewing as fast as those in the periphery, and are continuously recirculating between the blood, BM, and LN.
Frontiers