Fever supports CD8 + effector T cell responses by promoting mitochondrial translation

Authors: David O’Sullivan, Michal A. Stanczak, Matteo Villa, Franziska Maria Uhl, Mauro Corrado, Ramon I. Klein Geltink, David E. Sanin, Petya Apostolova, Nisha Rana, Joy Edwards-Hicks, Katarzyna M. Grzes, Agnieszka M. Kabat, Ryan Kyle, Mario Fabri, Jonathan D. Curtis, Michael D. Buck, Annette E. Patterson, Annamaria Regina, Cameron S. Field, Francesc Baixauli, Daniel J. Puleston, Edward J. Pearce, Robert Zeiser, Erika L. Pearce - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS 2021 cited by 60

Significance Fever is a common symptom of infections and inflammation. We observed CD8 + T cells exposed to febrile-range temperature during activation, augmented mitochondrial mass, and metabolic activity. An adoptive transfer of these cells into tumor-bearing mice led to enhanced antitumor responses, suggesting that exposure to febrile temperature during activation contributes to the development of robust T cell responses. We identified that mitochondrial translation is integral to the enhanced mitochondrial mass and function of CD8 + T cells exposed to febrile temperature. Collectively, this research raises the possibility that fever may be beneficial for optimizing metabolic and functional responses in CD8 + T cells.