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Immunology

Dual personality of memory T cells

Nature volume 401, pages 659–660 (1999)Cite this article

Often, when a pathogen first infects the body, nothing happens — at least, not for several days. But when the same pathogen is encountered a second time, the response is rapid and vigorous. This phenomenon, known as immunological memory, is the basis for vaccination, yet very little is understood about how it protects the entire body so effectively. On page 708 of this issue, Sallusto et al.1 report that a newly identified cell-surface marker — the chemokine receptor CCR7 — can distinguish two subsets of T cells that carry immunological memory. These two subsets apparently circulate around the body by different pathways, and mediate the memory response in different ways. The results provide a new insight into the memory response, one that is relevant to basic immunology, as well as to vaccination strategies and the development of immunosuppressive therapies.

The immune system responds slowly to newly encountered pathogens owing to the relative lack of antigen-specific cells. New pathogens must first be transported to nearby lymphoid tissue, where the primary immune response develops and where naive lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells interact. Two clonally expanded populations emanate from this primary response: ‘effector’ cells, which combat spread of the pathogen; and ‘memory’ cells, which guard against subsequent infections. Effector and memory cells are thought to be distributed to all tissues in the body, particularly epithelial surfaces (such as the skin and gut) where pathogens are likely to be re-encountered, so lymphocyte migration facilitates systemic immunological memory.

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Figure 1: Two types of memory T cell with different migration preferences.

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  1. the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, 2010, New South Wales, Australia

    Charles R. Mackay

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  1. Charles R. Mackay
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Correspondence to Charles R. Mackay.

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Mackay, C. Dual personality of memory T cells. Nature 401, 659–660 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/44309

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