?:abstract
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Lower respiratory viral infections, such as influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections, often cause severe viral pneumonia in aged individuals Here, we report that influenza viral pneumonia leads to chronic nonresolving lung pathology and exacerbated accumulation of CD8(+) tissue-resident memory T cells (T(RM)) in the respiratory tract of aged hosts T(RM) cell accumulation relies on elevated TGF-β present in aged tissues Further, we show that T(RM) cells isolated from aged lungs lack a subpopulation characterized by expression of molecules involved in TCR signaling and effector function Consequently, T(RM) cells from aged lungs were insufficient to provide heterologous protective immunity The depletion of CD8(+) T(RM) cells dampens persistent chronic lung inflammation and ameliorates tissue fibrosis in aged, but not young, animals Collectively, our data demonstrate that age-associated T(RM) cell malfunction supports chronic lung inflammatory and fibrotic sequelae after viral pneumonia
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