Charandeep Kaur

Short description of my project:

‘Stemness’– the ability of a cell to behave as stem cells – is the cornerstone of the developmental and cell biology in animals as well as plants. After the enormous progress of Stemness as Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) in haematology, the astonishing stability and lifelong protective immunity by memory cells, even in the absence of exposure of pathogen, sparks the indication of stemness in immunological memory. This idea of stemness in memory cells leads to the discovery of T memory stem cells (T_SCM).

T_SCM are a rare memory subset that have stem cell-like abilities such as multi-potency, self-renewal and clonal longevity. Recent researches have been focused to access the differentiation hierarchy of these cells by examining their proliferation rate, cellular turnover and longevity by quantifying deuterium dilution kinetics in YFV (Yellow Fever Virus) specific CD8⁺ T cells. There is a debate over the hierarchy of these cells, one theory indicates the direct transition of T naïve cells to T_SCM, whereas the other reflects the transition of T naïve to T effector memory first and then to T_SCM. However, the exact differentiation hierarchy of human memory CD8⁺ T cells is not yet well understood.

So, in this study we will investigate the differentiation hierarchy of human CD8⁺ T_SCM in YF vaccinated volunteers by TRECs (T receptor excision circles) measurement and Telomere length analysis from antigen specific CD8⁺ T cells. The data obtained then be used to develop a model to explain the transition of T naive to memory subsets using mathematical modelling.