PD-1 signaling is essential for the early accumulation of HBV-specific CD8+ T cells during HBV infection
Xiaoqing Zeng, Wen Pan, Ziwei Li, Zhaoli Liu, Hongming Huang, Xuecheng Yang, Kathrin Sutter, Mengji Lu, Ulf Dittmer, Gennadiy Zelinskyy, Xin Zheng, Dongliang Yang, Patrick T.F. Kennedy, Yanqin Du, Jia Liu
This study shows PD-1 is essential for early HBV-specific CD8+ T cell expansion and survival during acute infection but does not suppress effector cytokine function, and its absence impairs proliferation and promotes exhaustion in chronic infection.
bioRxiv · Sep 17, 2025 · PreprintImmunology