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Migration, maintenance and recall of memory T cells in peripheral tissues

2009; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 9; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/nri2496

1474-1741

David L. Woodland, Jacob E. Kohlmeier,

Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

Memory T cells in non-lymphoid tissues provide an important early line of defence against secondary pathogen infection. In this article, the mechanisms involved in the migration, maintenance and function of memory T cells at these peripheral sites are discussed. After the resolution of an immune response, antigen-specific memory T cells persist at many sites in the body. The antigen-specific memory T-cell pool includes memory T cells that preferentially reside in peripheral tissues, such as the skin, gut and lungs, where they provide a first line of defence against secondary pathogen infection. Determining how peripheral memory T cells are regulated is essential for our understanding of host−pathogen interactions and for vaccine development. In this Review, we discuss recent insights into the generation, control and recall of peripheral T-cell memory responses.