In the last two decades, it has become clear that yo T cells recognize a diverse array of antigens including self and foreign, large and small, and peptidic and non-peptidic molecules. In this respect, 78 antigens as ...In the last two decades, it has become clear that yo T cells recognize a diverse array of antigens including self and foreign, large and small, and peptidic and non-peptidic molecules. In this respect, 78 antigens as a whole resemble more the antigens recognized by antibodies than those recognized by T cells. Because of this antigenic diversity, no single mechanism--such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction of ap T cells--is likely to provide a basis for all observed T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)-dependent 78 T-cell responses. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that many individual 78 T cells are poly-specific, probably using different modes of ligand recognition in their responses to unrelated antigens. While posing a unique challenge in the maintenance of self-tolerance, this broad reactivity pattern might enable multiple overlapping uses of 78 T-cell populations, and thus generate a more efficient immune response.展开更多
The elusive task of defining the character of 76 T cells has been an evolving process for immunologists since stumbling upon their existence during the molecular characterization of the a and p T cell receptor genes o...The elusive task of defining the character of 76 T cells has been an evolving process for immunologists since stumbling upon their existence during the molecular characterization of the a and p T cell receptor genes of their better understood brethren. Defying the categorical rules used to distinctly characterize lymphocytes as either innate or adaptive in nature, 76 T cells inhabit a hybrid world of their own. At opposing ends of the simplified spectrum of modes of antigen recognition used by lymphocytes, natural killer and ap T cells are particularly well equipped to respond to the 'missing self' and the 'dangerous non-self', respectively. However, between these two reductive extremes, we are chronically faced with the challenge of making peace with the 'safe non-self' and dealing with the inevitable 'distressed self', and it is within this more complex realm 76 T cells excel thanks to their highly empathetic nature. This review gives an overview of the latest insights revealing the unfolding story of human 76 T cells, providing a biographical sketch of these unique lymphocytes in an attempt to capture the essence of their fundamental nature and events that influence their life trajectory. What hangs in their balance is their nuanced ability to differentiate the friends from the foe and the pathological from the benign to help us adapt swiftly and efficiently to life's many stresses.展开更多
文摘In the last two decades, it has become clear that yo T cells recognize a diverse array of antigens including self and foreign, large and small, and peptidic and non-peptidic molecules. In this respect, 78 antigens as a whole resemble more the antigens recognized by antibodies than those recognized by T cells. Because of this antigenic diversity, no single mechanism--such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction of ap T cells--is likely to provide a basis for all observed T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)-dependent 78 T-cell responses. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that many individual 78 T cells are poly-specific, probably using different modes of ligand recognition in their responses to unrelated antigens. While posing a unique challenge in the maintenance of self-tolerance, this broad reactivity pattern might enable multiple overlapping uses of 78 T-cell populations, and thus generate a more efficient immune response.
文摘The elusive task of defining the character of 76 T cells has been an evolving process for immunologists since stumbling upon their existence during the molecular characterization of the a and p T cell receptor genes of their better understood brethren. Defying the categorical rules used to distinctly characterize lymphocytes as either innate or adaptive in nature, 76 T cells inhabit a hybrid world of their own. At opposing ends of the simplified spectrum of modes of antigen recognition used by lymphocytes, natural killer and ap T cells are particularly well equipped to respond to the 'missing self' and the 'dangerous non-self', respectively. However, between these two reductive extremes, we are chronically faced with the challenge of making peace with the 'safe non-self' and dealing with the inevitable 'distressed self', and it is within this more complex realm 76 T cells excel thanks to their highly empathetic nature. This review gives an overview of the latest insights revealing the unfolding story of human 76 T cells, providing a biographical sketch of these unique lymphocytes in an attempt to capture the essence of their fundamental nature and events that influence their life trajectory. What hangs in their balance is their nuanced ability to differentiate the friends from the foe and the pathological from the benign to help us adapt swiftly and efficiently to life's many stresses.