IL-7 is critical for homeostatic proliferation and survival of naïve T cells
Abstract
In T cell-deficient conditions, naïve T cells undergo spontaneous "homeostatic" proliferation in response to contact with self-MHC/peptide ligands. With the aid of an in vitro system, we show here that homeostatic proliferation is also cytokine-dependent. The cytokines IL-4, IL-7, and IL-15 enhanced homeostatic proliferation of naïve T cells in vitro. Of these cytokines, only IL-7 was found to be critical; thus, naïve T cells underwent homeostatic proliferation in IL-4- and IL-15- hosts but proliferated minimally in IL-7- hosts. In addition to homeostatic proliferation, the prolonged survival of naïve T cells requires IL-7. Thus, naïve T cells disappeared gradually over a 1-month period upon adoptive transfer into IL-7- hosts. These findings indicate that naïve T cells depend on IL-7 for survival and homeostatic proliferation.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- July 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.161126098
- Bibcode:
- 2001PNAS...98.8732T
- Keywords:
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- Immunology