IFN-γ-producing memory T-cells specific for T. cruzi

interferon-gamma-producing memory T-cells specific for Trypsanoma cruzi


The term "T-cells" is a more generic (and hence less formal, but still common and well-understood) way of saying "T-lymphocytes" (white blood cells involved in the immune system).

"T cells belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes, and play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocyte types, such as B cells and natural killer cells by the presence of a special receptor on their cell surface called the T cell receptor (TCR). The abbreviation T, in T cell, stands for thymus, since it is the principal organ in the T cell's development."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_cell

There's three adjectives modifying "T-cells" or "T-lymphocytes" here:
(1) "memory"
(2) "interferon-gamma-producing" ("IFN-γ-producing")
(3) "specific for T. cruzi" ("specific for Trypsanoma cruzi")"

In order for the entire term to be natural-sounding in English, these adjectives have to be properly ordered:

We put the adjective "memory" closest to "T-cell" because there's a specific type of T-cell called a "memory T-cell":

"Memory T cells are a specific type of infection-fighting T cell (also known as a T lymphocyte) that can recognize foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses, that were encountered during a prior infection or vaccination. At a second encounter with the invader, memory T cells can reproduce to mount a faster and stronger immune response than the first time the immune system responded to the invader."

The remaining two adjectives are placed farther away from "memory T-cells" - in fact, for euphony, we can put the rather long, phrasal adjective "specific for T[rypsanoma] cruzi" *after* the noun:

interferon-gamma-producing memory T-cells specific for T[rypsanoma] cruzi

IFN-γ-producing memory T-cells specific for T. cruzi

Note that the first "T" (for "thymus") takes no period, while the second "T" (for "Trypsanoma" in the Linnaean genus-species nomenclature "Trypsanoma cruzi") does take a period (as in the original Spanish).


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Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-19 19:41:18 GMT)
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TYPO:

Omitted link after quote on "Memory T cells...":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_T_cells


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Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-19 19:46:06 GMT) Post-grading
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Another way of understanding the necessary word order: these are "memory T cells" which happen to produce interferon-gamma; they are not "interferon-gamma-producing cells"# which also happen to be "memory T."

# Not really a common term.

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-19 19:50:50 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you for the confirming reference.

PS - I see in your reference, and also in Wikipedia, that there should probably be no hyphen in "T cells" (not "T-cells").

I wanted to mention this finishing touch!