Quantitative studies of CD8+ T-cell responses during microbial infection

MHC class I tetramer staining, intracellular cytokine staining and ELISPOT assays have made it possible to quantify CD8(+) T-cell responses precisely during and following viral and bacterial infection. Although these quantitative methods are by now familiar and trusted components of the immunologist's toolbox, their application to models of microbial infection continues to provide surprising insights into mammalian adaptive immunity. In the past year there have been many exciting new findings on CD8(+) T-cell priming, expansion and memory formation in response to microbial infection.