T cell memory is short-lived in the absence of antigen.
Immunological memory has generally been ascribed to the development of long-lived memory cells that can persist for years in the absence of renewed antigenic encounter. In the experiments reported here, we have adoptively transferred memory T cells in the presence and absence of priming antigen and assessed their functional survival. The results indicate that, in contrast to the traditional view, the maintenance of T cell memory requires the presence of antigen, suggesting that memory, like tolerance, is an antigen-dependent process rather than an antigen-independent state.
Gray
D
D
Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland.
Matzinger
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000502:physiology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens