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Updated: Aug 3, 2026

Murine Superficial Lymph Node Surgery
Published on: May 21, 2012
Peripheral survival of naïve CD8+ T cells
I E Brown1, M Mashayekhi, M Markiewicz
1Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Abstract:
Maintenance of a sufficient population of naive CD8+ T cells in the peripheral lymphoid compartment is critical for immunocompetence. Peripheral T cell number is a function of T cell generation, survival, and death. Homeostasis, a critical balance between survival and death, must exist to prevent either lymphopenia or lymphocytosis. In the current review, we discuss known requirements for the survival of naive peripheral CD8+ T cells as well as mechanisms of death when survival signals are lost. We also discuss associations between survival and homeostasis-driven proliferation, and highlight the gaps in our knowledge of these critical processes.
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