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Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Pathways of TFH Cell Differentiation in Acute LCMV Challenges
Published on: April 26, 2024
Follicular helper T cell-mediated mucosal barrier maintenance
1University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Abstract:
The basic functions of the immune system are protection from pathogens and maintenance of tolerance to self. The maintenance of commensal microbiota at mucosal surfaces adds a layer of complexity to these basic functions. Recent reports suggest follicular helper T cells (Tfh), a CD4(+) T cell subset specialized to provide help to B cells undergoing isotype switching and affinity maturation in germinal centers (GC), interact with the microbiota and are essential to maintenance of mucosal barriers. Complicating the issue is ongoing controversy in the field regarding origin of the Tfh subset and its distinction from other effector CD4 T cell phenotypes (Th1/Th17/Treg). This review focuses on the differentiation, phenotypic plasticity, and function of CD4 T cells, with an emphasis on commensal-specific GC responses in the gut.
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