The role of the secretory immunological synapse in killing by CD8+ CTL.

Immunological synapses are formed between several different pairs of effector and target cells in the immune system and are thought to be important for sustaining signalling events in the effector cell. Although the interaction between CD8(+) lymphocytes and the targets that they kill is short lived, nevertheless, a distinctive immunological synapse forms. Here we suggest that the CD8(+) cell synapse may not simply be involved in signalling, but may have several important roles in CD8(+) effector function, including targeted delivery, and down-regulation of the cytolytic response.