Year: 2019
Type: review
Abstract: Most studies of T lymphocytes focus on recognition of classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II molecules presenting oligopeptides, yet there are numerous variations and exceptions of biological significance based on recognition of a wide variety of nonclassical MHC molecules. These include αβ and γδ T cells that recognize different class Ib molecules (CD1, MR-1, HLA-E, G, F, et al.) that are nearly monomorphic within a given species. Collectively, these T cells can be considered "unconventional," in part because they recognize lipids, metabolites, and modified peptides. Unlike classical MHC-specific cells, unconventional T cells generally exhibit limited T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) repertoires and often produce innate immune cell-like rapid effector responses. Exploiting this system in new generation vaccines for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), other infectious agents, and cancer was the focus of a recent workshop, "Immune Surveillance by Non-classical MHC Molecules: Improving Diversity for Antigens," sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Here, we summarize salient points presented regarding the basic immunobiology of unconventional T cells, recent advances in methodologies to measure unconventional T-cell activity in diseases, and approaches to harness their considerable clinical potential.
Source: PLoS Pathogens
Authors: M. Patricia D’Souza, Erin Adams, John D. Altman, Michael E. Birnbaum, Cesar Boggiano, Giulia Casorati, Yueh-hsiu Chien, Anthony Conley, Sidonia Barbara Guiomar Eckle, Klaus Früh, Timothy Gondré-Lewis, Namir Hassan, Huang Huang, Lakshmi Jayashankar, Anne G. Kasmar, Nina Kunwar, Judith Lavelle, David M. Lewinsohn, Branch Moody, Louis Picker, Lakshmi Ramachandra, Nilabh Shastri, Peter Parham, Andrew J. McMichael, Jonathan W. Yewdell
Institutions: University of Chicago, Emory University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Stanford University, The University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Immunocore (United Kingdom), Gates Foundation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, University of California, Berkeley, University of Oxford
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,350
Funder: National Institutes of Health
OpenAlex ID: W2916283954