Organ-specific isoform selection of fatty acid-binding proteins in tissue-resident lymphocytes.

Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells exist throughout the body, where they are poised to mediate local immune responses. Although studies have defined a common mechanism of residency independent of location, there is likely to be a level of specialization that adapts TRM cells to their given tissue of lodgment. It has been shown that TRM cells in the skin rely on the uptake of exogenous fatty acids for their survival and up-regulate fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) and FABP5 as part of their transcriptional program. However, FABPs exist as a larger family of isoforms, with different members selected in a tissue-specific fashion that is optimized for local fatty acid availability. Here, we show that although TRM cells in a range of tissue widely express FABPs, they are not restricted to FABP4 and FABP5. Instead, TRM cells show varying patterns of isoform usage that are determined by tissue-derived factors. These patterns are malleable because TRM cells relocated to different organs modify their FABP expression in line with their new location. As a consequence, these results argue for tissue-specific overlays to the TRM cell residency program, including FABP expression that is tailored to the particular tissue of TRM cell lodgment.

Polycationic nanoparticles synthesized using ARGET ATRP for drug delivery.

This work provides a systemic comparison for ARGET ATRP and UV-initiated polycationic nanoparticles for drug delivery and a guide to deciding which type of polycationic nanoparticles have the best properties for specific applications. Polycationic nanoparticles were synthesized using a previously developed UV-initiated photoemulsion polymerization or a newly developed ARGET ATRP synthesis technique. The effect of the ratio of hydrophobic monomer in the feed was evaluated. Increasing the feed ratio of hydrophobic monomer was necessary to maintain biocompatibility and pH-responsive membrane disruptive characteristics when switching from the UV-initiated polymerization to ARGET ATRP. The resulting polycationic nanoparticles have utility as drug delivery carriers for hydrophobic drugs and/or nucleic acids.