title: Regulatory T cell memory.
abstract: Memory for antigen is a defining feature of adaptive immunity. Antigen-specific lymphocyte populations show an increase in number and function after antigen encounter and more rapidly re-expand upon subsequent antigen exposure. Studies of immune memory have primarily focused on effector B cells and T cells with microbial specificity, using prime-challenge models of infection. However, recent work has also identified persistently expanded populations of antigen-specific regulatory T cells that protect against aberrant immune responses. In this Review, we consider the parallels between memory effector T cells and memory regulatory T cells, along with the functional implications of regulatory memory in autoimmunity, antimicrobial host defence and maternal-fetal tolerance. In addition, we discuss emerging evidence for regulatory T cell memory in humans and key unanswered questions in this rapidly evolving field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
authors.forename: Sing Sing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Way
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Abul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abbas
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D054502:Histocompatibility, Maternal-Fetal / Q000276:immunology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*