Bone marrow CD8 T cells are in a different activation state than those in lymphoid periphery.
In addition to its well-established use for hematopoiesis reconstitution, bone marrow is considered with increasing interest as a possible source of mature cells for adoptive therapies, in particular for the immunotherapy of cancer. Nevertheless, the peculiarities of bone marrow T cells in comparison with those in lymphoid periphery are still largely unknown. In this report, we show for the first time that bone marrow CD8 T cells are in a different activation state than those in peripheral lymphoid organs. Firstly, we observed that mouse bone marrow contains a significantly higher percentage of blasts within the CD8 T cells than either spleen or lymph nodes, yet such enrichment is not due to recent antigenic stimulation. Secondly, when we challenged bone marrow CD8 T cells from immunized mice with their antigen in vitro, they displayed a faster response than those from the spleen. Thus, we suggest that the bone marrow could be a preferential source of CD8 T cells for adoptive therapies in those cases in which highly active effectors are required.
Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. dirosa@iigb.na.cnr.it
Francesca
F
Di Rosa
Angela
A
Santoni
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors