The activation and differentiation of CD8 T cells is a necessary first step that endows these cells with the phenotypic and functional properties required for the control of intracellular pathogens. The induction of the CD8 T cell responses typically results in the development of a massive overall population of effector cells, comprising both highly functional but short-lived terminally differentiated cells, as well as a smaller subset of precursors that are predisposed to survive and transition into the memory T cell pool. In this review, we discuss how inflammatory cytokines and IL-2 bias the initial response towards short-lived effector generation, and also highlight the potential counterbalancing role of IL-21.
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