OxTalks will soon be transitioning to Oxford Events (full details are available on the Staff Gateway). A two-week publishing freeze is expected in early Hilary to allow all events to be migrated to the new platform. During this period, you will not be able to submit or edit events on OxTalks. The exact freeze dates will be confirmed as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact halo@digital.ox.ac.uk
Mucosal Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are an abundant population of tissue homing T-cells, possessing TCRs capable of recognising bacterially-derived riboflavin synthesis intermediates. However, their ability to respond to viral pathogens has not been defined. We addressed whether human MAIT cell populations responded to viral infections in vivo and the mechanism behind this. We find consistent evidence for MAIT cell activation during infection with Dengue virus, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Influenza Virus. This activation – driving cytokine release and upregulation of Granzyme B – was TCR-independent but dependent on specific cytokines, notably IL-18 in synergy with IL-12, IL-15 and/or type I interferons. IL-18 levels and activation of MAIT cells correlated with disease severity in acute Dengue infection. Furthermore, treatment of HCV with interferon-α led to specific activation of MAIT cells in vivo. Together these data demonstrate MAIT cells as virally-responsive and suggest a role in both host defence and immunopathology.
