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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Antigenic Liposomes for Generation of Disease-specific Antibodies

Antigenic Liposomes for Generation of Disease-specific Antibodies

Published on: October 25, 2018

How the immune system detects lipid antigens.

Gennaro De Libero¹, Lucia Mori

¹Experimental Immunology, Department of Biomedicine University Hospital, University of Basel, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. gennaro.delibero@unibas.ch

Progress in Lipid Research

|October 28, 2009

Summary

T cells recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1 molecules, crucial for immunity against infections, cancer, and autoimmunity. Understanding these interactions drives new lipid-based immunotherapies.

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Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Lipid A from Gram-negative Bacteria

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Area of Science:

Immunology
Molecular Biology
Structural Biology

Background:

T lymphocytes recognize antigens, but their interaction with lipids via CD1 molecules is a specialized pathway.
CD1 proteins present diverse lipid antigens to T cells, playing roles in immune surveillance and regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the structural basis of T cell receptor recognition of CD1-lipid complexes.
To highlight the immunological significance of lipid antigens in health and disease.

Main Methods:

Analysis of crystal structures of T cell receptor-CD1-lipid complexes.
Investigation of lipid antigen processing and presentation by antigen-presenting cells.

Main Results:

Structural data reveals how T cell receptors engage CD1-lipid complexes, involving both CD1 and lipid residues.
Lipid antigenicity is influenced by cellular handling, trafficking, and CD1 binding dynamics.

Conclusions:

Lipid-specific T cell responses are vital for autoimmunity, cancer immunity, infection control, and immunoregulation.
The immunogenicity of lipids is a promising target for developing novel immunotherapies, including vaccines and treatments for autoimmune diseases.