T Cell Memory to Vaccination

Dear Colleagues,

Since it is at the heart of vaccination, the continuing growth in the understanding of T cell memory will enhance the development of vaccines. This special issue of Vaccines is aimed at reviewing the various ways in which T cell memory may impact upon the immunogenicity, and ultimately the efficacy, of vaccines that are widely used or in development. Many vaccines in use today continue to rely on old manufacturing technology and are far from optimal in their efficacy. The target populations to vaccinate are usually at extremes of age, and often have some deficiencies in immune responses, requiring vaccines and vaccine regimens that deliver frequent, high doses of antigen. Several diseases have no available vaccines that prevent (or treat) them, such as malaria, HIV, Hepatitis C, and cancers. However, a novel meningococcal B vaccine has recently been licensed, and a malaria vaccine is close. Antibodies have conventionally been the desired outcome of vaccination, and their measurement a marker of protection. Many new vaccines are also targeting T cell responses that either help the antibody response or have direct effector functions themselves. These vaccines include conjugate vaccines, recombinant antigens in adjuvants, and recombinant antigen-encoding viruses. Resulting antigen-specific T cell responses need to be of the appropriate T-helper subtype, memory and homing phenotype, and not be exhausted via immune checkpoints. Ultimately, a correct formulation and regimen (including route of vaccination [e.g. mucosal] and boosting) will be required that generates this appropriate T cell phenotype. Measurement of these T cells will provide useful markers of efficacy. They may or may not imitate the protective T cell responses generated in natural immunity. Innate immunity also impinges on the vaccine-induced priming process, and effector lymphocytes with invariant T cell receptors are likely to be involved. Thus, a highly integrated approach to vaccine design is unavoidable, and will be discussed in this edition of the journal.

Professor Dr. Stephen Todryk
Guest Editor

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