Cellular Immunology: Transcriptional Basis of B and T Cell Lineages and Memory Cells – T Cell Memory to Viral Infections

Following virus infection, T cell responses to specific epitopes are generated which expand to high frequencies during the acute phase. Following this, there is typically a contraction of such responses, and formation of long-lived populations as T cell memory. We describe the main features of such memory pools following acute infection and how this “memory” might be molded in the case of chronic virus infection. Defining the qualities of such T cell populations and how these may be generated and maintained is central to vaccine design.