T cells found in tonsils differ in key ways from those in blood

T cells, also known as lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell that play an important role in the body’s immune response. Historically, blood samples have been used to monitor how T cells respond to a virus, vaccine or immunotherapy. But a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed that T cells in certain tissues of the body differ in significant ways from those in the blood, which could have implications for how the effectiveness of vaccines and immunotherapies are evaluated in the future. The findings were published in Immunity.