Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Pentoxifylline Modulation Of The Cytotoxic T-Cell Differentiation Pathway To Enhance Immunological Memory, Eric Goodspeed

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Immunological memory, acquired either by previous infection or vaccination, affords vertebrates a large margin of survival. Subsequent exposure to a "remembered" pathogen signals memory cells to undergo a rapid, clonal proliferation into armed effector cells. This rapidly mobilized clone mediates the specific clearance of the trespassing pathogen. Typically, this secondary recall response effectively dispatches the particular pathogen prior to any manifest disease pathology. This is the age-old, enjoyed benefit of immunity. Though this appreciation for immunological memory has been in documentation for nearly 3 millennia, our ability to intentionally increase its normal level of formation is only now beginning. The …