State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Wenrui Dang
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yunjie Du
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaonan Xu
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Pu He
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuhe Zhou
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Bingdong Zhu
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major infectious disease partly due to the lack of an effective vaccine. Therefore, developing new and more effective TB vaccines is crucial for controlling TB. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) usually parasitizes in macrophages; therefore, cell-mediated immunity plays an important role. The maintenance of memory T cells following M. tuberculosis infection or vaccination is a hallmark of immune protection. This review analyzes the development of memory T cells during M. tuberculosis infection and vaccine immunization, especially on immune memory induced by BCG and subunit vaccines. Furthermore, the factors affecting the development of memory T cells are discussed in detail. The understanding of the development of memory T cells should contribute to designing more effective TB vaccines and optimizing vaccination strategies.
