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. 2016 Sep 1;12(9):e1005722. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005722

Fig 1. Pathway of conventional and unconventional CD8 T cell memory differentiation.

Fig 1

Naïve CD8 T cells undergoing cognate antigen recognition in the context of an infection or an immunization differentiate into effector cells and form “true” antigen-experienced memory cells or "conventional memory." Under physiological conditions, naïve CD8 T cells may also acquire a memory phenotype in the absence of non-self cognate antigenic stimulation. This may occur in the thymus or in the periphery under the control of cytokines such as IL-4, IL-15, and type I IFN and give rise to “virtual memory” or "innate/memory-like" CD8 T cells.