Immunology and Infection Unit, Dept. of Biology, University of York, P.O. Box 373, York YO10 5YW, United Kingdom.
CD8+ T cells have a protective role in experimental visceral leishmaniasis. However, the observation that inflammatory cytokines induce bystander activation of CD8+ T cells questions the need for antigen-dependent effector function. Here, we demonstrate that successful adoptive immunotherapy with CD8+ T cells is strictly dependent upon the presence of cognate antigen.