Antigen-inexperienced memory CD8+ T cells: where they come from and why we need them
Memory-phenotype CD8+ T cells exist in substantial numbers within hosts that have not
been exposed to either foreign antigen or overt lymphopenia. These antigen-inexperienced
memory-phenotype T cells can be divided into two major subsets:'innate memory'T cells
and'virtual memory'T cells. Although these two subsets are nearly indistinguishable by
surface markers alone, notable developmental and functional differences exist between the
two subsets, which suggests that they represent distinct populations. In this Opinion article …
been exposed to either foreign antigen or overt lymphopenia. These antigen-inexperienced
memory-phenotype T cells can be divided into two major subsets:'innate memory'T cells
and'virtual memory'T cells. Although these two subsets are nearly indistinguishable by
surface markers alone, notable developmental and functional differences exist between the
two subsets, which suggests that they represent distinct populations. In this Opinion article …
Abstract
Memory-phenotype CD8+ T cells exist in substantial numbers within hosts that have not been exposed to either foreign antigen or overt lymphopenia. These antigen-inexperienced memory-phenotype T cells can be divided into two major subsets: 'innate memory' T cells and 'virtual memory' T cells. Although these two subsets are nearly indistinguishable by surface markers alone, notable developmental and functional differences exist between the two subsets, which suggests that they represent distinct populations. In this Opinion article, we review the available literature on each subset, highlighting the key differences between these populations. Furthermore, we suggest a unifying model for the categorization of antigen-inexperienced memory-phenotype CD8+ T cells.
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