Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Expanding Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes from Umbilical Cord Blood that Target Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, and Adenovirus
11:18

Expanding Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes from Umbilical Cord Blood that Target Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, and Adenovirus

Published on: May 7, 2012

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific cellular immune responses

Alexandre Harari1, Simone C Zimmerli, Giuseppe Pantaleo

  • 1Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Human Immunology
|June 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Most healthy people carry Cytomegalovirus (CMV). Researchers are developing methods to track CMV-specific T-cell immune responses, crucial for controlling viral replication.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) chronically infects a significant portion of the healthy population (50-90%).
  • Monitoring CMV-specific T-cell responses is vital for understanding immune control.
  • Advancements in immunological techniques are enabling better characterization of these responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and discuss current techniques for monitoring Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T-cell responses.
  • To highlight the importance of assessing T-cell functions like effector function, proliferation, and cytokine secretion.
  • To emphasize the role of combined CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses in controlling CMV replication.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing methodologies for identifying antigen-specific T cells.
  • Assessment of memory T-cell functions post-antigenic stimulation.
  • Analysis of T-cell responses during different infection phases.

Main Results:

  • Various techniques now exist to monitor CMV-specific T-cell immunity.
  • T-cell functional assessments reveal insights into immune responses during infection.
  • Combined virus-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses are key to controlling CMV.

Conclusions:

  • Effective monitoring of CMV-specific T-cell responses is achievable through functional assays.
  • Understanding these responses aids in characterizing the immune landscape of CMV infection.
  • Integrated CD4 and CD8 T-cell immunity is essential for managing CMV infection.

More Related Videos

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates05:53

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates

Published on: July 6, 2013

Automated Cell Enrichment of Cytomegalovirus-specific T cells for Clinical Applications using the Cytokine-capture System10:24

Automated Cell Enrichment of Cytomegalovirus-specific T cells for Clinical Applications using the Cytokine-capture System

Published on: October 5, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...