Editor's Summary

2 July 2009

T-cell memory regulation by mTOR

mTOR, part of the PI3K–AKT–mTOR cell-signalling cascade and a target for the antitumour drug rapamycin, is identified here as a regulator of CD8 T-cell differentiation. Despite its primarily immunosuppressive activity, rapamycin can enhance immune responses to experimental vaccines in mice and monkeys. This counterintuitive finding points to the ability to increase the functional qualities of memory T cells as a potential way of enhancing the efficacy of vaccines against pathogens and cancers.

Letter: mTOR regulates memory CD8 T-cell differentiation

Koichi Araki, Alexandra P. Turner, Virginia Oliva Shaffer, Shivaprakash Gangappa, Susanne A. Keller, Martin F. Bachmann, Christian P. Larsen & Rafi Ahmed

doi:10.1038/nature08155

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