Cytotoxic T cell recognition of α-²õ²â²Ô³Ü³¦±ô±ð¾±²Ô drives pathogenic immune responses in multiple system atrophy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurologic disease, known as an α-²õ²â²Ô³Ü³¦±ô±ð¾±²Ôopathy. There are currently no effective disease-modifying therapies for MSA. While neuroinflammation is a hallmark of MSA, the contribution of adaptive immune mechanisms remains poorly understood. Here, we profiled peripheral and central T cell responses in patients with MSA, in comparison with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy control cohorts, using single-cell transcriptomics, flow cytometry, and antigen-specific functional assays. We demonstrated that peripheral T cells from MSA patients are activated and skewed toward cytotoxic and inflammatory phenotypes. Single-cell transcriptomics further revealed clonal expansion of cytotoxic CD8 T cells expressing , , and chemokine and integrin programs associated with brain homing. We also demonstrated that both CD4 and CD8 T cells from MSA patients recognize α-²õ²â²Ô³Ü³¦±ô±ð¾±²Ô monomers and preformed fibrils in an HLA class I/II-dependent manner, driving proliferation, clonal expansion, and acquisition of cytotoxic features. Consistent with these peripheral responses, CD8 T cell density was increased in the parietal cortex of postmortem MSA brain tissues, along with cytotoxic (GZMB, GZMK) and proinflammatory (IFNγ) CD8 T cells. Together, these findings demonstrate that cytotoxic T cells targeting α-²õ²â²Ô³Ü³¦±ô±ð¾±²Ô are engaged in MSA, suggesting that their activity may contribute to neuroinflammation and disease progression, and highlighting this immune axis as a candidate therapeutic target for further investigation.

Year of Publication
2026
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume
123
Issue
14
Pages
e2537271123
Date Published
04/2026
ISSN
1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2537271123
PubMed ID
41911451
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