Naive T cell

In immunology, a naive T cell (T_h0 cell) is a T cell that has differentiated in the thymus, and successfully undergone the positive and negative processes of central selection in the thymus. Among these are the naive forms of helper T cells (CD4⁺) and cytotoxic T cells (CD8⁺). Naive T cells, unlike activated or memory T cells, have not encountered its cognate antigen within the periphery. After this encounter, the naive T cell is considered a mature T cell.