Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Evaluation of T Follicular Helper Cells and Germinal Center Response During Influenza A Virus Infection in Mice
07:07

Evaluation of T Follicular Helper Cells and Germinal Center Response During Influenza A Virus Infection in Mice

Published on: June 27, 2020

4.6K

Follicular T-helper cells: controlled localization and cellular interactions

Hai Qi1, Xin Chen1, Coco Chu1

  • 1Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Laboratory of Dynamic Immunobiology, School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Immunology and Cell Biology
|October 23, 2013
PubMed

Affinity-matured, isotype-switched antibodies afford humoral protection against microbial infections. Cells capable of producing such antibodies are derived from the germinal center (GC) formed during a T-dependent B-cell response. Follicular T-helper (TFH) cells are a recently defined subset of CD4 T cells that are specialized in promoting the B-cell response and GC reaction. These cells exhibit a CXCR5(+)ICOS(hi)PD-1(hi) surface phenotype, express a high level of transcriptional repressor Bcl-6 and possess a unique ability to reside in the GC. Insights into how TFH cells develop and function promise to refine our strategies toward more effective antibody-based vaccines and therapies for humoral autoimmunity. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how TFH-associated molecules regulate dynamic localization and B-cell-interacting properties of these cells, as both aspects are at the core of being TFH cells.

More Related Videos

Isolation of CD4+ T-cells and Analysis of Circulating T-follicular Helper cTfh Cell Subsets from Peripheral Blood Using 6-color Flow Cytometry07:39

Isolation of CD4+ T-cells and Analysis of Circulating T-follicular Helper cTfh Cell Subsets from Peripheral Blood Using 6-color Flow Cytometry

Published on: January 7, 2019

11.7K
Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Pathways of TFH Cell Differentiation in Acute LCMV Challenges05:03

Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Pathways of TFH Cell Differentiation in Acute LCMV Challenges

Published on: April 26, 2024

1.5K

Related Concept Videos

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
13.7K
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
3.2K
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
14.6K
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
6.9K
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
7.1K
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
65.0K