Scientists find early signs of T cell exhaustion in early infection stages

Sly Saint · Apr 10, 2025

Even in the case of uncomplicated infections, the body prepares itself early on for the possibility of a more severe course. A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich has now uncovered this mechanism. The scientists showed that, right at the onset of mild illness, the body also produces special T cells previously known only from chronic, severe infections and tumors.

There are different types of T cells in the body, all of which play a crucial role in the immune system. They fight pathogens and control the immune response. However, some subtypes become less effective or even cease their activity altogether as the disease progresses. This has a protective function: in persisting infections, it would harm the body if the immune system continued to fight the pathogens aggressively. However, T cell exhaustion is a problem in the treatment of cancer, as therapeutic measures may no longer be effective.

Until now, it was assumed that the body only produces such T cells in severe and persisting infections. The results of the researchers at TUM and Helmholz Munich show that this is not the case.

We were able to show that the body prepares T cell subtypes that are predisposed to exhaustion even in early infection phases of moderate diseases."

Dietmar Zehn, Professor of Animal Physiology and Immunology at TUM and last study author
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Scientists find early signs of T cell exhaustion in early infection stages

paper:
Precursors of exhausted T cells are pre-emptively formed in acute infection | Nature

Jonathan Edwards · Apr 10, 2025

As I suspected, 'T cell exhaustion' was not a very useful term!

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Scientists find early signs of T cell exhaustion in early infection stages

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Scientists find early signs of T cell exhaustion in early infection stages

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