Bolstering the Number and Function of HSV-1-Specific CD8 Effector Memory T Cells and Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in Latently Infected Trigeminal Ganglia Reduces Recurrent Ocular Herpes Infection and Disease.

HSV type 1 (HSV-1) is a prevalent human pathogen that infects >3.72 billion individuals worldwide and can cause potentially blinding recurrent corneal herpetic disease. HSV-1 establishes latency within sensory neurons of trigeminal ganglia (TG), and TG-resident CD8 T cells play a critical role in preventing its reactivation. The repertoire, phenotype, and function of protective CD8 T cells are unknown. Bolstering the apparent feeble numbers of CD8 T cells in TG remains a challenge for immunotherapeutic strategies. In this study, a comprehensive panel of 467 HLA-A0201-restricted CD8 T cell epitopes was predicted from the entire HSV-1 genome. CD8 T cell responses to these genome-wide epitopes were compared in HSV-1-seropositive symptomatic individuals (with a history of numerous episodes of recurrent herpetic disease) and asymptomatic (ASYMP) individuals (who are infected but never experienced any recurrent herpetic disease). Frequent polyfunctional HSV-specific IFN-γCD107CD44CD62LCD8 effector memory T cells were detected in ASYMP individuals and were primarily directed against three "ASYMP" epitopes. In contrast, symptomatic individuals have more monofunctional CD44CD62LCD8 central memory T cells. Furthermore, therapeutic immunization with an innovative prime/pull vaccine, based on priming with multiple ASYMP epitopes (prime) and neurotropic TG delivery of the T cell-attracting chemokine CXCL10 (pull), boosted the number and function of CD44CD62LCD8 effector memory T cells and CD103CD8 tissue-resident T cells in TG of latently infected HLA-A0201-transgenic mice and reduced recurrent ocular herpes following UV-B-induced reactivation. These findings have profound implications in the development of T cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies to treat blinding recurrent herpes infection and disease.