Design principles of the cytotoxic CD8 + T cell response

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes eliminate infected or malignant cells, safeguarding surrounding tissues. Although experimental and systems-immunology studies have cataloged many molecular and cellular actors involved in an immune response, the design principles governing how the speed and magnitude of T cell responses emerge from cellular decision-making remain elusive. Here, we recast the T cell response as a feedback-controlled program, wherein the rates of activation, proliferation, differentiation,