Teams at the Max Delbrück Center and University of Oxford reported in Nature Cell Biology that autophagy regulates mitochondrial inheritance during asymmetric CD8+ T cell division, directing daughter cells toward effector or memory fates. The paper links autophagic clearance to the distribution of healthy versus damaged mitochondria and subsequent fate commitment. The mechanism suggests therapeutic levers to preferentially expand memory T cells and improve vaccine responses, particularly in older adults where memory formation is impaired. Immunotherapy and vaccine developers should evaluate autophagy‑modulating strategies and related biomarkers to boost durable cellular immunity in clinical programs.