Journal of Vaccine Research 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 32-39 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/jvr 33 1 Immune Memory Cell Classification 1.1 Memory B cells Memory B cells are a special type of cell in the immune system that plays a crucial role in maintaining long-term immune memory. They enable the body to respond more rapidly and effectively to pathogens upon subsequent encounters. This holds significant importance in areas such as vaccine design, infection control, and immunotherapy. The formation of memory B cells occurs during the initial infection when a portion of activated B cells differentiates into effector plasma cells, producing antibodies, while another portion forms memory B cells (Figure 1). These memory B cells have a long lifespan and can survive in the body for several years or even a lifetime, providing persistent immunity to previous infections. Memory B cells typically express specific cell surface markers, such as CD27. These markers help identify and distinguish the memory B cell population, allowing their specific location and function in the body to be determined (Nguyen-Contant et al., 2020). Figure 1 B cell differentiation The functionality of memory B cells in the immune system is primarily evident during secondary infections. When the same pathogen invades again, memory B cells can be rapidly and efficiently activated, subsequently differentiating into effector B cells that produce antibodies, thereby accelerating the clearance of the pathogen. This rapid response time is due to the memory established by memory B cells for specific antigens during the initial infection. 1.2 Memory T cells Memory T cells are a specialized subset of T lymphocytes that play a crucial role in the immune system, responsible for maintaining memory of previous infections (Figure 2). The functionality of memory T cells in the immune system is primarily characterized by a rapid response to pathogens and the maintenance of long-term immune memory for prior infections. This ability is of significant importance in areas such as infection resistance, vaccine immunity, and immunotherapy. The immune memory network they establish in the body contributes to protecting the organism from infections and diseases. The formation of memory T cells involves the activation of T cells during the initial infection. Some of these activated T cells differentiate into effector T cells, participating in the direct attack against the pathogen. Another portion forms memory T cells, which have a longer lifespan and can persist in the body, providing immune memory to previous infections. Memory T cells typically express specific cell surface receptors and markers such as CD45RO, CD62L, etc. These markers aid in identifying and distinguishing the population of memory T cells, allowing their specific location and function in the body to be determined (Wang et al., 2023).
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