CD8⁺ T Cell Response to Influenza Virus

The flu is an extremely prevalent and potentially devastating disease, especially dangerous to the very young, the elderly, and to people with compromised immune systems. Influenza has a characteristic course of infection, and is often effectively dispatched by the immune system. The cell-mediated lysis of infected cells is a particularly important step in clearing the infection. Antigen specific CD8+ T lymphocytes are selected and activated in the mediastinal lymph node, proliferate and gain effector function, then migrate to the lungs, where they selectively destroy infected cells. The CD8+ effector population pool undergoes a phase of contraction, when most effector cells die. Those that survive become memory T cells, protecting the body from subsequent influenza infections. The molecular and cellular interactions that comprise the CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response to influenza virus are of particular interest because of their implications for the prevention, treatment, and alleviation of the flu.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Doty, Daniel, S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jianzhu Chen.

• Biology.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/86280

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/86280