Advancing Quantification and Understanding of Immunological Memory Dynamics

This Research Topic is the second volume of "Quantification of Immunological Memory". You can access volume I here.

The field of immunology has long been focused on understanding the mechanisms by which the immune system combats infectious diseases and establishes long-term immunity. Immunological memory, a critical component of this process, allows the immune system to respond more rapidly and effectively upon re-exposure to a pathogen. Despite the success of vaccines in inducing immunological memory without prior infection, a significant challenge remains in accurately quantifying this memory. Current methods primarily rely on measuring antibody titers, which, while straightforward, do not provide a complete picture of long-term immunity. Immunological memory involves complex interactions among various immune cells, including B and T lymphocytes, and their differentiation into memory cells. Recent studies have highlighted the variability in immunological memory across individuals and pathogens, as well as the early programming of this memory shortly after antigen exposure. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive tools and models to predict the long-term dynamics of immunological memory, necessitating further research in this area.

This research topic aims to advance the understanding and quantification of immunological memory by exploring its definitions, underlying mechanisms, and the cell subsets involved. The goal is to address key questions such as the feasibility of early quantification of immunological memory during the immune response and identifying the most relevant molecules or cell populations for this assessment. By encouraging contributions that present innovative methods and models, both in vivo and in silico, this research topic seeks to enhance our ability to measure and predict immunological memory.

To gather further insights in the quantification of immunological memory, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- T cell and B cell memory subtypes and their transcriptional patterns, cytokine production, and cell-to-cell interactions
- Time scales of immunological memory development and duration
- Analysis of immunological memory with a systems biology approach
- Single-cell data analysis in immunological memory
- TCR and BCR clonal diversity in immunological memory
- Quantification of immunological memory, in human or animal models, after infection or vaccination
- Early correlates of memory: predictors of enhanced response to a subsequent antigen re-encounter
- The contribution of immunological memory to individual immunity and to herd immunity
- Quantitative modeling of immunological memory in silico
- Analysis of immunological memory in mathematical/computational models of the immune response