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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy
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Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy

Published on: March 24, 2014

Formation and function of the immunological synapse

P Anton van der Merwe1

  • 1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, OX1 3RE, Oxford, UK. anton.vandermerwe@path.ox.ac.uk

Current Opinion in Immunology
|April 26, 2002
PubMed

Less than five years ago it was reported that cell surface molecules at the contact site between CD4 T cells and antigen-presenting cells redistribute into distinct patterns, forming an organized interface termed the immunological synapse. More recently, similar reorganized interfaces have been observed with CD8 T cells and NK cells, suggesting that they may be a common feature of lymphocyte activation. Although there has been some advance in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this redistribution, its purpose remains unclear and controversial.

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