Scientists discover new cell memory

Scientists have found that innate cells can form an immunological 'memory' in order to protect against viral infection.

Published in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens, the researchers found that cells of the innate immune system are capable of memory and mounting a protection against a normally lethal dose of live vaccinia virus.

Previously, only B cells and T cells were thought to have the ability to store memories in order to ward of future infection.

It is thought that the findings could have important repercussions for the treatment of illnesses, particularly for the design of vaccines including those against HIV.

Dr Geoffrey Gillard, who led the study, demonstrated that an innate population of cells, called natural killer (NK) cells, can form memory to infections from vaccinia virus, despite lacking the receptors of traditional memory cells.

Transfer of these NK memory cells to immunodeficient mice was sufficient to protect them against a usually lethal exposure to vaccinia virus.