How do cytotoxic T cells kill viruses?

Hello doctor,

How long does cytotoxic T-cell response last?

For example, if an infection replicates in cells, will the cytotoxic T-cell response only stay for some months? And then, after a few months, when the infection repeats with the same protein, will it have another cytotoxic response, or will it continue as a cycle?

Or, if it is the same viral protein, will the cytotoxic T-cells recognize that and not respond to each replication?

Thank you doctor for the reply,

Will the killer T-cells recognize the microbe that integrates with the deoxyribonucleic acid, cytoplasm, or replicates from cell to cell like a ribonucleic acid or gene-based virus? And if it does respond and misses some of the microbes in the killer response, the microbe then keeps replicating, and killer T-cells keep forgetting some of it. If this cycle keeps happening, how long would the killer T-cell response be as in months, hours, weeks, or years or would it be forever, and in that case, if it is forever and cyclical because it keeps missing some of the replicating microbes- does that mean all your cells effectively could be killed by the killer T-cells if this microbe enters healthy cells then replicates then those cells which are infected are killed by T-cells and if the T-cell response keeps happening and missing some of the target microbes aren't you going to have massive cell death, is it possible the human host could eventually die?

I suspect this would cause a person not to feel good as well.

And this is just for my curiosity and to be informed that I do not have a virus, cancer, or sickle cell.

Thank you doctor for the reply,

I tried looking up the definition of surface expression, but what does the term "surface" refer to? Does it represent the cell, or the membrane of the cytoplasm when the protein is expressed?

In the last part, you say whenever antigens are presented, but what if they never stop being presented, as in there is no break? They are just continuously presented and not all neutralized. Will the cytotoxic T-cell response never take a break and continue lifelong?

Hello doctor,

The questions are just because I am interested in cases I might contract in the future for my peace of mind. My profession is not relevant and unrelated, and as a patient, I have no infection. Still, I want to learn about the basic biology of what people currently know about the body and precisely only the Immune response, how long it lasts, and how long it lasts in case of replication.