IL-17 producing tissue-resident memory T-cells expanded during Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonisation provide heterologous immune protection.
- 1School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus persistently colonises the nasal tissue (NT) of a significant proportion of the population. The long-lasting impact that asymptomatic S. aureus exposure has on immune memory at colonised barrier sites is incompletely understood, potentially impacting vaccine responsiveness in a pre-exposed population. Tissue resident memory (TRM) cells are long-lived T-cells which remain poised at barrier sites for localised reactivation following antigen exposure. This study demonstrates an increase in NT CD4+ and {gamma}{delta}+ TRM cells in response to S. aureus colonisation, which undergo expansion and IL-17 production upon secondary S. aureus exposure. Interestingly, these cells were also capable of non-specific reactivation, with IL-17+ TRM cells in S. aureus colonised mice enhancing protection against K. pneumoniae infection. Ex-vivo data suggest that non-specific CD4+ TRM cell re-activation is pro-inflammatory cytokine dependent, but antigen independent. Overall, these findings demonstrate that S. aureus nasal colonisation shapes long-lasting TRM cell responses in the NT, which have the potential for non-specific bystander reactivation during subsequent heterologous infection.
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BibTeX
@misc{daly2026il17,
title = {{IL-17 producing tissue-resident memory T-cells expanded during Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonisation provide heterologous immune protection.}},
author = {C. M. Daly and S. C. Cahill and C. M. Leane and S. R. Carlile and A. M. Kelly and J. M. Mannion and R. M. McLoughlin},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.31.747503},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.747503v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - IL-17 producing tissue-resident memory T-cells expanded during Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonisation provide heterologous immune protection.
AU - C. M. Daly
AU - S. C. Cahill
AU - C. M. Leane
AU - S. R. Carlile
AU - A. M. Kelly
AU - J. M. Mannion
AU - R. M. McLoughlin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.31.747503
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.747503v1
AB - Staphylococcus aureus persistently colonises the nasal tissue (NT) of a significant proportion of the population. The long-lasting impact that asymptomatic S. aureus exposure has on immune memory at colonised barrier sites is incompletely understood, potentially impacting vaccine responsiveness in a pre-exposed population. Tissue resident memory (TRM) cells are long-lived T-cells which remain poised at barrier sites for localised reactivation following antigen exposure. This study demonstrates an increase in NT CD4+ and {gamma}{delta}+ TRM cells in response to S. aureus colonisation, which undergo expansion and IL-17 production upon secondary S. aureus exposure. Interestingly, these cells were also capable of non-specific reactivation, with IL-17+ TRM cells in S. aureus colonised mice enhancing protection against K. pneumoniae infection. Ex-vivo data suggest that non-specific CD4+ TRM cell re-activation is pro-inflammatory cytokine dependent, but antigen independent. Overall, these findings demonstrate that S. aureus nasal colonisation shapes long-lasting TRM cell responses in the NT, which have the potential for non-specific bystander reactivation during subsequent heterologous infection.
ER -