CD4+ T Cell Priming as Biomarker to Study Immune Response to Preventive Vaccines

T cell priming is a critical event in the initiation of the immune response to vaccination since it deeply influences both the magnitude and the quality of the immune response induced. CD4+ T cell priming, required for the induction of high-affinity antibodies and immune memory, represents a key target for improving and modulating vaccine immunogenicity. A major challenge in the study of in vivo T cell priming is due to the low frequency of antigen-specific T cells. This review discusses the current knowledge on antigen-specific CD4+ T cell priming in the context of vaccination, as well as the most advanced tools for the characterization of the in vivo T cell priming and the opportunities offered by the application of systems biology. © 2013 Ciabattini, Pettini and Medaglini.