title: CD8 memory T cells: cross-reactivity and heterologous immunity.
abstract: Virus-specific memory T cell populations demonstrate plasticity in antigen recognition and in their ability to accommodate new memory T cell populations. The degeneracy of T cell antigen recognition and the flexibility of diverse antigen-specific repertoires allow the host to respond to a multitude of pathogens while accommodating these numerous large memory pools in a finite immune system. These cross-reactive memory T cells can be employed in immune responses and mediate protective immunity, but they can also induce life-threatening immunopathology or impede transplantation tolerance and graft survival. Here we discuss examples of altered viral pathogenesis occurring as a consequence of heterologous T cell immunity and propose models for the maintenance of a dynamic pool of memory cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Liisa.Selin@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Liisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Selin
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornberg
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brehm
authors.forename: Sung-Kwon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calcagno
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghersi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puzone
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Celada
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Welsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens