IFN-γ and proinflammatory cytokines induce astrocyte programs that support antigen-dependent CD4(+) T cell restimulation.

IFN-γ with proinflammatory cytokines induces an IFN-responsive astrocyte population enriched for antigen-presentation genes 24 h after peripheral immune challenge in bacterial mimetic-injected mice.

• Why it matters: Astrocyte roles in CNS antigen presentation are unclear, limiting understanding of how neuroimmune interfaces coordinate local CD4+ T cell restimulation.
• What they did: The study re-analyzed astrocyte-enriched single-cell sequencing from bacterial mimetic-injected mice and used in vivo and in vitro stimulation with IFN-γ plus proinflammatory cytokines, including human iPSC-derived CNS cultures.
• The result: Type II MHC-II+ GFAP+ astrocytes localize to brain surfaces across neuroinflammation models and human disease tissue, and cytokine-stimulated astrocytes express MHC-II, costimulatory molecules, chemokines, and support rapid antigen-dependent expansion of previously activated CD4+ T cells.

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