IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Virtual memory CD8+ T cell behavior is linked to peripheralization in the lymph node.

Virtual memory CD8+ T cell behavior is linked to peripheralization in the lymph node.

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The talk examined how virtual memory CD8 T cells respond to vaccinia infection in lymph nodes. Contrary to the old view that all naïve CD8 T cells behave similarly, the speaker showed that virtual memory cells are a distinct subset that responds faster than true naïve cells. In mouse experiments, these cells rapidly moved toward the periphery of the lymph node within 9 hours of infection, clustered near antigen entry sites, and produced interferon-gamma by 24 hours, indicating an early antiviral response. Three-photon microscopy and tissue clearing revealed that this peripheralization and clustering were local to the draining lymph node. Virtual memory cells also resembled antigen-experienced memory cells in function. The findings suggest that early positioning and dynamics in lymph nodes help determine CD8 T-cell fate, with implications for neonatal immunity and future studies on the signals driving this behavior.

Meta Tag

Date April 19, 2026 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Room 153AB

Session Dynamic Control of T Cell Activation

Speaker Subash Bhandari

Track Immune Response Regulation: Cellular Mechanisms (IRC)

Year 2026

Keywords

virtual memory CD8 T cells

vaccinia infection

lymph nodes

interferon-gamma

three-photon microscopy

April 19, 2026 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

153AB

Dynamic Control of T Cell Activation

Subash Bhandari

Immune Response Regulation: Cellular Mechanisms (IRC)

2026