IL-15-induced bystander activation of memory CD8+ T cells in acute viral infection

Previously, it was shown that in acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, bystander memory CD8+ T cells specific to HAV-unrelated viruses including CMV, EBV and influenza virus become activated by IL-15 in an antigen-independent manner and exert NKG2D-dependent innate-like cytotoxicity which is significantly associated with severe liver injury among patients with acute hepatitis A (AHA). However, regulatory mechanisms underlying unique phenotypic and functional changes induced by IL-15-mediated bystander activation have not been examined in detail. In this presentation, Dr Hoyoung Lee discusses mechanisms underlying IL-15-induced bystander activation that is counteracted by TCR-mediated activation in memory CD8+ T cells during acute HAV infection.

Dr. HoYoung Lee graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Medical Sciences in 2015 and he received his Ph.D. degree in 2021 from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. He is now working as a postdoctoral researcher at professor Eui-Cheol Shin’s lab, the Center for Viral Immunology, Korea Virus Research Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Daejeon, South Korea since 2021. His main research interests center around the molecular mechanisms underlying TCR-independent, cytokine-induced activation of CD8+ T cells.