Protocol to study ex vivo T cell priming by conventional dendritic cells from the mouse spleen.

Conventional dendritic cells (cDC) are professional antigen-presenting cells able to prime naive T cells. Here, we present a protocol for ex vivo T cell priming by murine splenic cDC. We describe the steps of injecting fluorescently labeled antigens to mice, purifying antigen-bearing cDC, and priming antigen-specific T cells ex vivo.

Impaired endocytosis and accumulation in early endosomal compartments defines herpes simplex virus-mediated disruption of the nonclassical MHC class I-related molecule MR1.

Presentation of metabolites by the major histocompatibility complex class I-related protein 1 (MR1) molecule to mucosal-associated invariant T cells is impaired during herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) infections. This is surprising given these viruses do not directly synthesise MR1 ligands. We have previously identified several HSV proteins responsible for rapidly downregulating the intracellular pool of immature MR1, effectively inhibiting new surface antigen presentation, while preexisting ligand-bound mature MR1 is unexpectedly upregulated by HSV-1.

Constitutive Flt3 signaling impacts conventional dendritic cell function.

The development of dendritic cells (DCs) depends on signaling via the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (Flt3) receptor. How Flt3 signaling impacts terminally differentiated DC function is unknown. This is important given the increasing interest in exploiting Flt3 for vaccination and tumor immunotherapy.

Sepsis-trained macrophages promote antitumoral tissue-resident T cells.

Sepsis induces immune alterations, which last for months after the resolution of illness. The effect of this immunological reprogramming on the risk of developing cancer is unclear. Here we use a national claims database to show that sepsis survivors had a lower cumulative incidence of cancers than matched nonsevere infection survivors.