Single-cell study reveals how immune memory cells remember threats

MedicalXpress | мар 26, 2026

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's have identified how certain immune cells are molecularly programmed to respond faster when the body encounters a familiar threat, shedding light on immune memory and its links to diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. The study, published in Cell Reports, found that "memory" CD4⁺ T cells—immune cells formed after infection or vaccination—have their DNA primed to activate key defense genes within hours. In contrast, naïve T cells encountering a pathogen for the first time can take days to mount a response.