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Ambra Natalini, Sonia Simonetti, Francesca Di Rosa (ISTITUTO DI BIOLOGIA E PATOLOGIA MOLECOLARI, CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE delle RICERCHE, viale Regina Elena 291, Roma 00161, ITALY)
Naive T cells expand and differentiate in lymph nodes and/or spleen upon antigen (Ag) priming, generating effector and memory T cells (primary response). After Ag clearance, most of the Ag-specific T cells die and only memory T cells survive. Memory T cells persist for years or even decades (memory phase) and rapidly divide and assume effector function upon re-exposure to antigen (secondary response). Memory T cell homing and persistence into the bone marrow (BM) is key to the maintenance of long-lived memory, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Our working hypothesis is that recirculating memory T cells are maintained in the BM within two types of niche, the “self-renewal” and the “quiescence” niche, resembling those for Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC). A flexible equilibrium between the two niches would permit enough memory T cell turn-over to maintain memory, at the same time reducing the risk of cell exhaustion and replicative stress (Di Rosa F Trends Immunol 2016, 37:503). My team is interested in the molecular analysis of cycling and quiescent memory CD8 T cells in the BM, using a variety of tools (e.g. single cell RNA seq, cell cycle reporter mice, etc.).