Protective function and differentiation cues of brain-resident CD8+ T cells during surveillance of latent infection.

Chronic infection induces brain-resident CD8+ T cells (bTr), but the protective functions and differentiation cues of these cells remain undefined. Here, we used a mouse model of latent infection by leading to effective CD8+ T cell-mediated parasite control. Thanks to antibody depletion approaches, we found that peripheral circulating CD8+ T cells are dispensable for brain parasite control during chronic stage, indicating that CD8+ bTr are able to prevent brain parasite reactivation.