Recent work in a primary influenza infection model shows early expansion of highly activated non-specific (bystander) memory CD8 T cells, which are CD25 negative, a component of the IL-2 receptor and a molecule that is up-regulated upon TCR stimulation, but are NKG2D positive, an activating receptor expressed on NK- and T-cells, and are restricted to the site of infection (42). The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is influenza.