Characterisation of the dual roles of senescent-like T cells that arise during healthy and unhealthy ageing
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Ageing is associated with significant immune changes, with unhealthy ageing characterised by chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. Here we identify a population of CD8⁺ T EMRA cells during unhealthy ageing, which exhibit features of premature senescence and are regulated in part by TGFβ. These cells show impaired cytotoxic function and altered migratory behaviour, including an increased presence in tissues. TGFβ plays a pivotal role in modulating their phenotype by inducing CD103 expression and downregulating KLRG1, causing these cells to resemble tissue-resident memory cells. This disruption to receptor recycling leads to defective degranulation potentially altering the capacity of these cells to mount an effective immune response. Overall, these findings suggest that T EMRA cells in the context of unhealthy ageing are a pathogenic T cell subset that accumulate in tissues where they are unable to exert an effector function.
