CD8+ virtual memory T cells have been studied mainly for their antimicrobial functions but it seems that their descendants can contribute to inflammation and hair loss in the context of alopecia areata.
The traditional conception of memory T cells is as the product of a response to foreign antigens. However, cells with memory-like properties also arise during normal T cell homeostasis. A population of cells we termed virtual memory T (TVM) cells1 have specificity for foreign antigens and develop a memory phenotype despite a lack of exposure to antigens. Although TVM cells have memory-like functions and contribute to the response to pathogens, the physiological role of these cells in immune responses is not well defined. Most studies have focused on the ability of TVM cells to mediate protective immunity, but new data from Seok et al.2 in this issue of Nature Immunology reveal a more sinister facet, reporting that the cells that mediate hair loss in a mouse model of alopecia areata are the progeny of TVM cells.
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