The twentieth century witnessed a huge expansion in the number of vaccines used with great success in combating diseases, especially the ones caused by viral and bacterial pathogens. Despite this, several major public health threats, such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and cancer, still pose an enormous humanitarian and economic burden. As vaccines based on the induction of protective, neutralizing antibodies have not managed to effectively combat these diseases, in recent decades, the focus has increasingly shifted towards the cellular immune response. There is substantial evidence demonstrating CD8 T cells as key players in the protection not only against many viral and bacterial pathogens, but also in the fight against neoplastic cells. Here, we present arguments for CD8 T cells to be considered as promising candidates for vaccine targeting. We discuss the heterogeneity of CD8 T cell populations and their contribution in the protection of the host. We also outline several strategies of using a common human pathogen, cytomegalovirus, as a vaccine vector since accumulated data strongly suggest it represents a promising approach to the development of novel vaccines against both pathogens and tumors.

In patients with cardiogenic shock, misfolding of a microaxial flow pump within the aorta after deployment is a rare but serious complication that presents a significant therapeutic challenge. A 35-year-old woman was hospitalized with influenza myocarditis. Although initially hemodynamically stable, she developed cardiogenic shock 24 hours later, requiring implantation of an Impella CP device. She was transferred to the intensive care unit, where signs of device malfunction soon appeared. Fluoroscopy revealed a distorted, Z-shaped configuration of the Impella CP in the ascending aorta. Using a snare technique, the device was straightened in the descending aorta and successfully retrieved via the femoral sheath. Currently, no established guidelines exist for managing microaxial flow pump misfolding. This case demonstrates a safe and effective percutaneous retrieval approach for this complication. The snare technique provides a safe and effective percutaneous method for retrieving a kinked microaxial flow pump device.