Abstract:Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is essential for development and differentiation of natural killer (NK) and memory (m)CD8+ T cells. Our lab previously showed that NK and CD8+ T lymphocytes facilitate the pathobiology of septic shock. However, factors that regulate NK and CD8+ T lymphocyte functions during sepsis are not well characterized. We hypothesized that IL-15 promotes the pathogenesis of sepsis by maintaining NK and mCD8+ T cell integrity. To test our hypothesis, the pathogenesis of sepsis was assessed in IL-15-… Show more