Immunological memories of the bone marrow

Immunol Rev. 2018 May;283(1):86-98. doi: 10.1111/imr.12656.

Abstract

Memory for antigens once encountered is a hallmark of the immune system of vertebrates, providing us with an immunity adapted to pathogens of our environment. Despite its fundamental relevance, the cells and genes representing immunological memory are still poorly understood. Here we discuss the concept of a circulating, proliferating, and ubiquitous population of effector lymphocytes vs concepts of resting and dormant populations of dedicated memory lymphocytes, distinct from effector lymphocytes and residing in defined tissues, particularly in barrier tissues and in the bone marrow. The lifestyle of memory plasma cells of the bone marrow may serve as a paradigm, showing that persistence of memory lymphocytes is not defined by intrinsic "half-lives", but rather conditional on distinct survival signals provided by dedicated niches. These niches are organized by individual mesenchymal stromal cells. They define the capacity of immunological memory and regulate its homeostasis.

Keywords: bone marrow; memory T cells; tissue-resident memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow / immunology*
  • Bone Marrow / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology*
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Cell Survival / immunology
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Organ Specificity / immunology
  • Plasma Cells / immunology
  • Plasma Cells / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism