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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
Integrins and T cell-mediated immunity
Jonathan T Pribila1, Angie C Quale, Kristen L Mueller
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. prib0015@umn.edu
Abstract:
Integrin receptors mediate adhesive events that are critical for a specific and effective immune response to foreign pathogens. Integrin-dependent interactions of lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to endothelium regulate the efficiency and specificity of trafficking into secondary lymphoid organs and peripheral tissue. Within these sites, integrins facilitate cell movement via interactions with the extracellular matrix, and promote and stabilize antigen-specific interactions between T lymphocytes and APCs that are critical for initiating T cell-activation events. In this review, we discuss the role of integrins in T cell-mediated immunity, with a focus on how these receptors participate in lymphocyte recirculation and T cell activation, how antigen stimulation regulates integrin activity, and how integrins define functionally unique subsets of T cells and APCs.
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