bims-maitce 2025-05-04 papers

Issue of 2025–05–04
two papers selected by
Andy E. Hogan, Maynooth University

Nat Commun. 2025 Apr 29. 16(1): 4022

Liver transplant-facilitated CD161+Vα7.2+ MAIT cell recovery demonstrates clinical benefits in hepatic failure patients.

Wei Wang, Chen Dai, Peng Zhu, Mi Wu, Haoquan Zhang, Qing Wei, Ting Zhou, Xiaosheng Tan, Ying Jiang, Xue Cheng, Zhihui Liang, Xiongwen Wu, Zhishui Chen, Xiufang Weng.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells exert multifaceted effects such as anti-microbial activity, tissue repair, and pro-fibrotic effects across various disease settings. Nonetheless, their role in liver injury and hemostasis remains debated. Here, we report a significant depletion and functional dysregulation of MAIT cells, which is associated with disease severity and accumulated bile acids in HBV-infected patients with varying degree of liver injury. Liver transplantation facilitates a gradual recovery of recipient-originated MAIT cells. Transcriptome analysis reveals enhanced MAIT cell activation, while TCR mining demonstrates clonotype overlap between circulating and hepatic MAIT cells during significant liver injury. TCR-activated MAIT cells from transplant recipients display higher protective capacity but reduced pathological potential than those from liver failure patients. Compromised recovery of MAIT cells is linked to post-transplantation complications, whereas prompt recovery predicates favorable clinical outcome. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between MAIT cells and the hepatic environment, highlighting MAIT cells as potential therapeutic targets and sensitive predictors for clinical outcome in individuals experiencing liver failure and post liver transplantation.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59308-x

Trends Microbiol. 2025 Apr 24. pii: S0966-842X(25)00107-6. [Epub ahead of print]

The microbiota shapes the life trajectory of mucosal-associated invariant T cells.

Yan-Ruide Li, Xinyuan Shen, Yichen Zhu, Zibai Lyu, Lili Yang.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells predominantly located in barrier tissues such as the lung, liver, skin, and colon. These cells recognize metabolites derived from the riboflavin biosynthetic pathway, which can rapidly traverse epithelial barriers and be presented during MAIT cell differentiation in the thymus and maturation in peripheral tissues. Furthermore, microbial metabolites significantly influence MAIT cell functions in various conditions, including cancer. This review summarizes how the microbiota shapes the life trajectory of MAIT cells and their antitumor reactivity. Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic implications of manipulating the microbiota as a 'bug-drug' strategy to enhance MAIT cell antitumor immunity, particularly in mucosal cancers, while emphasizing challenges and future directions for integrating microbiota considerations into MAIT cell-based therapies.

Keywords: antitumor immunity; bug-drug; cancer immunotherapy; cancer therapy; microbiota; mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells; thymus differentiation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2025.03.011