Innate cells shown to form immunological 'memory' and protect against viral infection
Thursday, August 4, 2011 - 20:30
in Health & Medicine
Researchers have demonstrated that cells of the innate immune system are capable of "memory", and of mounting rapid protection to an otherwise lethal dose of live vaccinia virus. The study challenges previous thought that only B cells and T cells can store memory to ward off future infection. The finding has potentially significant consequences for the design of future vaccines, particularly for HIV.