Fine-tuning CD4+ central memory T cell heterogeneity by strength of stimulation

The memory T cell pool serves as a relatively long-lived heterogeneous repository of antigen-experienced T cells that "remember" previous encounters with antigen. While heterogeneity in the memory T cell pool is now well established, signals regulating the generation of this memory T cell heterogeneity are not fully understood. Two articles in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology highlight the importance of the strength of antigenic stimulation in regulating the generation of phenotypically and functionally distinct CD4(+) T cell memory subsets. New insights are also provided into key molecular players that likely mediate differences in homeostatic and secondary expansion between the memory subsets.