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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:47
Generation of Human Alloantigen-specific T Cells from Peripheral Blood
Published on: November 21, 2014
T cells as a self-referential, sensory organ.
Mark M Davis1, Michelle Krogsgaard, Morgan Huse
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. mdavis@pmgm2.stanford.edu
Annual Review of Immunology
|February 13, 2007
Summary
Alphabeta T cells function as sensory cells, detecting single peptide-MHC molecules. They are trained on self-peptides and primed to recognize foreign antigens, acting as a crucial sensory organ.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Recent data indicate T cells can detect single agonist peptide-MHC molecules.
- Endogenous peptides bound to MHCs are vital for T cell selection and activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize alphabeta T cells as sensory cells.
- To explore the role of self-peptide-MHC in T cell function.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of T cell sensitivity to peptide-MHC complexes.
- Investigation of T cell responses to foreign antigens in the context of self-peptide-MHC.
Main Results:
- Alphabeta T cells exhibit high sensitivity, detecting single peptide-MHC molecules.
- Self-peptide-MHC complexes play a dual role in T cell development and activation.
Conclusions:
- Alphabeta T cells function as sensory cells, analogous to nervous system cells.
- T cells act as a sensory organ, trained on self and primed for nonself detection.
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