ABSTRACT
A hole, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is an opening through something. The immunological hole refers to what our T cell immune system cannot see or respond to. There are two parts to our T cell immune system. The fi rst is the “innate” T cell immune system, the system we are born with. The T cells in our bodies carry genetic information that allows us to respond to pathogens (bacteria and viruses) and cancers without prior exposure. The second part is the “adaptive” T cell immune system. It learns from our exposure to these same threats and develops the actual immunity in the form of memory T cells. Memory T cells are vital to our survival. These two systems save us from repetitive sickness and in some cases death. The problem with the “hole” is that it resides in both systems and in some instances can lead to serious illness or even death. Most bacteria and viruses that we are exposed to will be known to our innate T cell immune system and, if not, quickly responded to by the adaptive T cell immune system, but there are some that cannot be seen by either system.
