TBK1 is a key regulator of CD8+ T cells persistence during chronic viral infection 3217

Description TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that serves as a signaling hub in pathways associated with inflammation and pathogen detection through pattern recognition receptors. Although TBK1’s role in innate immunity is well established, its role in CD8+ T cell differentiation and exhaustion remains unclear. Stem-like CD8+ T cells are crucial for maintaining the long-term T cell responses required to control chronic infections and cancers. Here, we identify TBK1 as a positive regulator of long-term CD8+ T cell responses. The CD8+ T cell-specific ablation of TBK1 impairs the differentiation of stem-like T cells during chronic viral infection. Although TBK1-deficient CD8+ T cells show an increased percentage of proliferating cells at early time points, they fail to persist in the spleen and brain. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) reveals that TBK1 deficiency in CD8+ T cells impairs responses to type I interferons, TCR signaling, and T cell migration. We are actively investigating these pathways to further elucidate their crosstalk with TBK1. Our findings highlight a pivotal role for TBK1 in regulating the long-term CD8+ T cell response.