By Leo Lefrancois, Ph.D. and David Masopust
ESI Special Topics,
November 2002
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/nhp/comments/november-02-Lefr-Masop.html
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Leo Lefrancois, Ph.D. and David Masopust
answer a few questions about this month's
new hot paper in the field of Immunology.
From
•>>November 2002
Field: Immunology
Article Title: "Preferential localization of effector memory cells in nonlymphoid tissue"
Authors: Masopust,
D;Vezys, V;Marzo, AL;Lefrancois, L
Journal: SCIENCE
Volume: 291
Page: 2413-2417
Year: MAR 23 2001
* Univ Connecticut, Ctr Hlth, Dept Med, Div Immunol, Farmington, CT 06030 USA.
* Univ Connecticut, Ctr Hlth, Dept Med, Div Immunol, Farmington, CT 06030 USA.
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November
1, 2006:
This paper has also been named the Fast Moving Front in
Immunology for November
2006. |
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 Why do you think your paper is highly cited?
Research in immunological memory is a very active area right now.
This paper generated significant interest because it showed for the
first time that activated and memory antigen-specific CD8 T cells were
present in a wide variety of tissues following infection. Many
researchers were surprised to learn that at least as many, and
probably more, antigen-specific T cells were present in the
non-lymphoid tissues as compared to the lymphoid tissues. In addition,
the data showed that memory cells in the non-lymphoid tissues exerted
immediate effector function. Along with the R. Lee Reinhardt and Marc
K. Jenkins paper, this work served to prove the theory of F. Sallusto
and A. Lanzavecchia that functionally distinct memory cell subsets
existed based on anatomical location.
Does it describe a new discovery or new methodology that's useful
to others?
In relation to other work in this field, this study provides the
impetus to develop models to study protection against infection in
specific tissues. These findings have also helped inspire others to
routinely analyze non-lymphoid sites in order to characterize more
completely the immune response of interest.
What were some of the circumstances that led you to do this
research?
We initially wanted to do the experiments in order to test the
ethos that the intestinal mucosa was the primary target of effector
CD8 T cells, relating all the way back to the seminal works of J. L.
Gowans & E. J. Knight and Jonathan Sprent. In addition, we had
shown that memory T cells in the intestinal mucosa exhibited unique
properties and we questioned whether this was due to tissue-specific
effects or whether there were commonalties with memory cells in other
tissues, and this paper essentially proved that theory. The ability to
track endogenous antigen-specific CD8 T cells using MHC class I
tetramers-this method, developed by Mark Davis and John Altman at
Stanford University, also provided the technical means to perform
these studies.
Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's
terms?
This paper demonstrates that the immune response to infection can
generate an army of long-lived cells that patrol many tissues and are
capable of an immediate response against reinfection.
REFERENCES
Reinhardt RL, Khoruts
A, Merica R, Zell T, Jenkins MK; Visualizing the generation of memory
CD4 T cells in the whole body. Nature, 01 Mar 2001; 410, 101 -
105
Sallusto F, Lenig D,
Forster R, Lipp M, Lanzavecchia A; Two subsets of memory T lymphocytes
with distinct homing potentials and effector functions. Nature,
1999; 401:70812.
Gowans JL, Knight EJ;
The route of re-circulation of lymphocytes in the rat. Proc Roy Soc
(Ser B) 1964; 159:257-82.
Sprent, J; Fate of
H2-activated T lymphocytes in syngeneic hosts. Cellular Immunology
21:278-302.
Altman JD, Moss PAH,
Goulder PJR, Barouch DH, McHeyzer-Williams MG, Bell JI, McMichael AJ,
Davis MM; Phenotypic analysis of antigen-specific T lymphocytes.
Science 274:94-96.
Leo Lefrancois, Ph.D.
Chief, Division of Immunology,
Professor of Medicine,
UCONN Health Center,
Department of Medicine, MC1319, Room L3072,
263 Farmington Avenue,
Farmington, CT 06030-1319
David Masopust
Postdoctoral Fellow
Emory University School of Medicine
Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology
Atlanta, GA
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ESI Special Topics,
November 2002
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/nhp/comments/november-02-Lefr-Masop.html
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