New mechanism to promote long-term T-cell immunity by telomere transfer from antigen-presenting cells

Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes and are important biomarkers of cellular aging. The mechanism of telomere elongation in T cells is not clear. A recent study revealed that memory CD4 + T cells can acquire telomeric DNA transferred via vesicles from antigen-presenting cells, which inhibits T-cell senescence and promotes T-cell expansion and long-lived immunity.