TLR3 ligand stimulates fully functional memory CD8+ T cells in the absence of CD4+ T-cell help.

S. Hervas-Stubbs (1) , A. Olivier (1) , F. Boisgerault (1) , N. Thieblemont (2) , Céline Leclerc (1)

1 Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie
2 CHRI - Cytokines, hématopoïèse et réponse immune

We investigated whether Toll-like receptor ligands (TLR-Ls) can bypass the requirement for CD4(+) T-cell help in the induction of fully efficient memory CD8(+) T cells (cytotoxic T lymphocytes [CTLs]). "Helpless" CTLs were induced by a synthetic CD8(+) T-cell epitope administered with TLR3-L and TLR9-L, but not with TLR2/6-L, TLR4-L, or TLR7-L. The up-regulation of MHC-I and costimulatory molecules by dendritic cells following TLR stimulation was not sufficient for the priming of "helpless" CTLs, which depended essentially on the induction of a strong IFN-alpha/beta response. The "helpless" CTLs induced by TLR-Ls differentiated into fully functional memory CTLs able to proliferate as well as their "helped" counterparts upon challenge, in the absence of CD4(+) T-cell help.

Domaines: Vaccinologie

S. Hervas-Stubbs, A. Olivier, F. Boisgerault, N. Thieblemont, Céline Leclerc. TLR3 ligand stimulates fully functional memory CD8+ T cells in the absence of CD4+ T-cell help.. Blood, 2007, 109 (12), pp.5318-26. ⟨10.1182/blood-2006-10-053256⟩. ⟨hal-00135749⟩