Cytotoxic T Cell in Action

This video shows real footage of a cytotoxic T cell killing a cell infected by a pathogen.

When a cytotoxic T cell finds an infected cell, it forms a connection to that cell called a cytoplasmic bridge. Through this bridge, the cytotoxic T cell delivers enzymes that create holes in the infected cell’s membrane, killing the cell. This video shows the process recorded by video microscopy.

This clip is from a 2007 Holiday Lecture Series, AIDS: Evolution of an Epidemic.