Microsporidia are a group of pathogens, which can pose severe risks to the immunocompromised population, such as HIV-infected individuals or organ transplant recipients. Adaptive immunity has been reported to be critical for protection, and mice depleted of T cells are unable to control these infections. In a mouse model of infection, CD8 T cells have been found to be the primary effector cells and are responsible for protecting the infected host. Also, as infection is acquired via a peroral route, CD8 T cells in the gut compartment act as a first line of defense against these pathogens. Thus, generation of a robust CD8 T-cell response exhibiting polyfunctional ability is critical for host survival. In this chapter, we describe the effector CD8 T cells generated during microsporidia infection and the factors that may be essential for generating protective immunity against these understudied but significant pathogens. Overall, this chapter will highlight the necessity for a better understanding of the development of CD8 T-cell responses in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and provide some insights into therapies that may be used to restore defective CD8 T-cell functionality in an immunocompromised situation.
Keyphrases
- hiv infected
- immune response
- mouse model
- gram negative
- dendritic cells
- induced apoptosis
- antimicrobial resistance
- regulatory t cells
- multidrug resistant
- antiretroviral therapy
- intensive care unit
- human health
- early onset
- cell death
- metabolic syndrome
- risk assessment
- insulin resistance
- toll like receptor
- signaling pathway
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- skeletal muscle
- high fat diet induced
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- pi k akt
- innate immune