SUMMARY
MicroRNAs regulate the function of several immune cells but their role in promoting CD8+ T-cell immunity remains unknown. Here we report that miR-155 is required for CD8+ T-cell responses to both virus and cancer. In the absence of miR-155, accumulation of effector CD8+ T cells was severely reduced during acute and chronic viral infections and control of virus replication was impaired. Similarly, Mir155-/- CD8+ T cells were in effective at controlling tumor growth, whereas miR-155 overexpression enhanced the antitumor response. miR-155 deficiency resulted in accumulation of SOCS-1 causing defective cytokine signaling through STAT5. Consistently, enforced expression of SOCS-1 in CD8+ T cells phenocopied the miR-155 deficiency, whereas SOCS-1 silencing augmented tumor destruction. These findings identify miR-155 and its target SOCS-1 as key regulators of effector CD8+ T cells that can be modulated to potentiate immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancer.
Background: Adaptive immunity requires T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of antigenic peptide in complex with major histocompatibility complexes (pMHC). Results: Both TCR/pMHC binding kinetics and the amount of interacting cognate pMHC contribute to CD8 ϩ T cell activation.
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