Cell Cycle Entry Control in Naive and Memory CD8(+) T Cells

CD8(+) T cells play important roles in immunity and immuno-oncology. Upon antigen recognition and co-stimulation, naive CD8(+) T cells escape from dormancy to engage in a complex programme of cellular growth, cell cycle entry and differentiation, resulting in rapid proliferation cycles that has the net effect of producing clonally expanded, antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). A fraction of activated T cells will re-enter dormancy by differentiating into memory T cells, which have essential roles in adaptive immunity. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of cell cycle entry control in CD8(+) T cells and crosstalk between these mechanisms and pathways regulating immunological phenotypes.