Immunological memory: lessons from the past and a look to the future
Abstract
Immunological memory is considered to be one of the cardinal features of the adaptive immune system. Despite being a recognized phenomenon since the time of the ancient Greeks, immunologists are yet to fully appreciate the mechanisms that control memory responses in the immune system. Furthermore, our definition of immunological memory itself continues to evolve, with recent suggestions that innate immune cells also show memory-like behaviour. In this Viewpoint article, Nature Reviews Immunology invites five leading immunologists to share their thoughts on our current understanding of the nature of immunological memory. Our experts highlight some of the seminal studies that have shaped the immune memory field and offer contrasting views on the key questions that remain to be addressed.
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Primary and secondary lymphoid organs are innervated by sympathetic, peptidergic, and sensory nerve fibers.
“Primary and secondary lymphoid organs are innervated by sympathetic, peptidergic, and sensory nerve fibers (182).”
From The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease (2019) · cites this paper as [182]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Farber, D. L., Netea, M. G., Radbruch, A., Rajewsky, K., & Zinkernagel, R. M.
- Affiliations
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DE)
- Max Delbrück Center (DE)
- University Hospital Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Netea, Mihai G.
- Radbruch, Andreas
- Rajewsky, Klaus
- Zinkernagel, Rolf M.
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Immunology
- Published
- 2016-02
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 124-128
- ISSN
- 1474-1733 (ISSN-L)
- 1474-1741
- OpenAlex
- W2272814930
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 1.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature reviews. Immunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- MDC Repository (Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI100119)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Keywords
- immunological memory, innate immune cells, adaptive immunity, lymphocytes, history of immunology
- MeSH terms
- Allergy and Immunology, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Immunologic Memory, T-Lymphocytes, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century
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