Rejuvenation of T Cell Memory
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: Memory CD8+ T cells generated during an immune response are long-lived and self-renewing, off ering\nenhanced host protection against re-infection. However, how an antigen-specific population of memory T cells is\nmaintained throughout repetitive infections over potentially a lifetime is not known. Here we review the generation\nand maintenance of antigen-specifi c CD8+ T cells and introduce our recent data showing dynamic turnover of an\nantigen-specific memory T cell population during repeated antigen challenge in vivo. We demonstrated that a\nprimary response potentially occurs upon every recall response and fi nd that the skewed T-cell receptor （TCR）\nrepertoire of pre-existing memory T cells is partly corrected by diversity in a newly formed （primary） population.\nImportantly, memory T cells generated in a more recent antigen encounter expand more vigorously in a subsequent\nrecall response. A primary response during re-challenge therefore restores both the TCR diversity and proliferative\npotential of the memory T cell population. These findings indicate that memory T cell populations evolve over\nmultiple challenges, favoring memory T cells generated in more recent encounters, and suggest that these primary\npopulations have essential roles in the perpetuation of antigen-specifi c T cell populations.
Institution: The University of Tokyo
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2186485345