Affiliation:
1. Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Seattle Washington USA
2. Department of Global Health University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
4. Department of Medicine University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
5. Department of Immunology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
Abstract
SummaryTissue‐resident memory T cells (TRM) are considered to be central to maintaining mucosal barrier immunity and tissue homeostasis. Most of this knowledge stems from murine studies, which provide access to all organs. These studies also allow for a thorough assessment of the TRM compartment for each tissue and across tissues with well‐defined experimental and environmental variables. Assessing the functional characteristics of the human TRM compartment is substantially more difficult; thus, notably, there is a paucity of studies profiling the TRM compartment in the human female reproductive tract (FRT). The FRT is a mucosal barrier tissue that is naturally exposed to a wide range of commensal and pathogenic microbes, including several sexually transmitted infections of global health significance. We provide an overview of studies describing T cells within the lower FRT tissues and highlight the challenges of studying TRM cells in the FRT: different sampling methods of the FRT greatly affect immune cell recovery, especially of TRM cells. Furthermore, menstrual cycle, menopause, and pregnancy affect FRT immunity, but little is known about changes in the TRM compartment. Finally, we discuss the potential functional plasticity of the TRM compartment during inflammatory episodes in the human FRT to maintain protection and tissue homeostasis, which are required to ensure reproductive fitness.
Funder
Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Subject
Immunology,Immunology and Allergy
Cited by
3 articles.
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