Rethinking IL-1 Antagonism in Respiratory Viral Infections: A Role for IL-1 Signaling in the Development of Antiviral T Cell Immunity

IL-1R integrates signals from IL-1α and IL-1β, and it is widely expressed across tissues and immune cell types. While the expression pattern and function of IL-1R within the innate immune system is well studied, its role in adaptive immunity, particularly within the CD8 T cell compartment, remains underexplored. Here, we show that CD8 T cells dynamically upregulate IL-1R1 levels during priming by APCs, which correlates with their proliferation status and the acquisition of an effector phenotype. Notably, this IL-1 sensitivity persists in memory CD8 T cells of both mice and humans, influencing effector cytokine production upon TCR reactivation. Furthermore, our study highlights that antiviral effector and tissue-resident CD8 T cell responses against influenza A virus infection become impaired in the absence of IL-1 signaling. Altogether, these data support the exploitation of IL-1 activity in the context of T cell vaccination strategies and warrant consideration of the impact of clinical IL-1 inhibition on the rollout of T cell immunity.