Generation and manipulation of memory CD8 T cell responses
Naïve Ag-specific CD8 T cell precursors respond to pathogen-derived antigens, undergo vigorous clonal expansion, acquire effector functions and develop into memory CD8 T cell populations.
New experimental approaches and models to dissect immune responses in health and disease led to increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control the abundance, quality, and maintenance of the memory CD8 T cell pool.
Since memory CD8 T cells can protect from re-infection with the same or related intracellular pathogens vaccine-evoked CD8 T cells hold great potential for the prevention of infectious diseases.
Our main goals are:
a) To establish relevant experimental models to study antigen-experienced CD8 T cells in vivo;
b) To determine the factors that influence generation, maintenance and function of memory CD8 T cells;
c) To characterize CD8 T cells responding to multiple rounds of antigenic stimulations
d) To investigate the alterations in T cell-mediated immunity that occur after sepsis
PubMed link
