Generation, Maintenance, and Function of Memory T Cells

Edward Jenner's recognition of immune memory represents one of the oldest and most significant of immunological observations. However, it has also proved to be one of the most difficult to understand on both cellular and molecular level. Recently, significant advances have been made in understanding where memory T cells, particularly CD8 + T cells, come from, what they can do, and what maintains them. While the factors that control this unique phenotype are unknown, they may be dependent to some extent on IL-7 and/or IL-15 for their expression, given these cytokines' critical role in the long-term maintenance of memory CD8 + T cells.