Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
Translator: Tursunova Balkadisha
Editor: Aigerim Akhmetova
When the virus enters the body, it is picked up by certain cells of the immune system. They transport the virus to the lymph nodes, where they present their fragments, known as antigens, to CD8 + T cells responsible for controlling viral infections. Each of these cells carries a unique T-cell receptor on its surface that can recognize specific antigens.
To get the infection under control and maximize protection from the virus, these few antigen-specific T cells begin to divide rapidly and turn into effector (Executive) T cells. They kill host cells infected with the virus, and then die on their own as soon as the infection is eliminated. Some of these short-lived effector cells - according to the generally accepted theory-turn into memory T cells that remain in the body for a long time. If the same pathogen re-enters the body, the memory T cells are already present and ready to fight the invader more quickly and effectively than during the first encounter.
The researchers examined the antiviral immune response resulting from individual activated T cells in mice, and traced the origin of subsequent memory cells by mapping the fate of individual cells. Fate mapping is a method used in developmental biology to study the embryonic origin of various adult tissues, structures, and cells. Based on these experiments, the researchers were able to show that certain "t-cell families" derived from individual cells form 1,000 times more "memory" than others.
These results may help improve vaccine development in the future, the researchers say: "To trigger an optimal immune response through vaccination, the body needs to produce as many memory cells as possible. To do this, it is important to have an accurate understanding of how individual T cells are programmed."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102110039.htm
