1. ¹Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2. ²Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Correspondence: Dr GT Belz, Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria 3050, Australia. E-mail: belz@wehi.edu.au

³Current address: Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech Inc, I DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.

Received 20 February 2008; Accepted 21 February 2008; Published online 18 March 2008.

Abstract

Protective immunity against viral pathogens depends on the generation and maintenance of a small population of memory CD8⁺ T cells. Successful memory cell generation begins with early interactions between naïve T cell and dendritic cells (DCs) within the inflammatory milieu of the secondary lymphoid tissues. Recent insights into the role of different populations of DCs, and kinetics of antigen presentation, during viral infections have helped to understand how DCs can shape the immune response. Here, we review the recent progress that has been made towards defining how specific DC subsets drive effector CD8⁺ T-cell expansion and differentiation into memory cells. Further, we endeavour to examine how the molecular signals imparted by DCs coordinate to generate protective CD8⁺ T-cell immunity.