The lineage decisions of helper T cells

KM Murphy, SL Reiner - Nature Reviews Immunology, 2002 - nature.com
KM Murphy, SL Reiner
Nature Reviews Immunology, 2002nature.com
After encountering antigen, helper T (TH) cells undergo differentiation to effector cells, which
can secrete high levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10 and other
immunomodulators. How TH cells acquire, and remember, new patterns of gene expression
is an area of intensive investigation. The process is remarkably plastic, with cytokines being
key regulators. Extrinsic signals seem to be integrated into cell-intrinsic programming, in
what is becoming an intriguing story of regulated development. We summarize the latest …
Abstract
After encountering antigen, helper T (TH) cells undergo differentiation to effector cells, which can secrete high levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10 and other immunomodulators. How TH cells acquire, and remember, new patterns of gene expression is an area of intensive investigation. The process is remarkably plastic, with cytokines being key regulators. Extrinsic signals seem to be integrated into cell-intrinsic programming, in what is becoming an intriguing story of regulated development. We summarize the latest insights into mechanisms that govern the lineage choices that are made during TH-cell responses to foreign pathogens.
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