A strong CD8 + T cell expansion has also been observed in L. mexicana patients during the healing process (Salaiza-Suazo et al., 1999) . Interestingly, lesions of patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) harbor a higher number of CD8 + T cells compared to patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL; Hernandez-Ruiz et al., 2010) . As already observed in VL patients, CD8 + T cells in DCL patients, unlike LCL patients, show a reduced capacity to respond to antigen-specific stimulation during active infection. In fact, these cells displayed low cytotoxicity and only produced little IFN-γ upon stimulation, therefore showing typical signs of functional exhaustion (Hernandez-Ruiz et al., 2010) . Strikingly, effector functions could be restored in vitro after stimulation with TLR2 agonists, highlighting the potential therapeutic benefit of the revival of CD8 + T cell functions in DCL patients.