Periarteriolar stroma cells guide T cells from the red to the white pulp in the spleen

CH Kim, Q Liu - Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 2020 - nature.com
Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 2020nature.com
While both the spleen and lymph nodes are called secondary lymphoid tissues, how
lymphocytes enter these tissues are quite different from each other. This is because the
architecture of the two types of organs and the mode of lymphocyte migration into these
organs are quite distinct. In the spleen, T cells are passively released in the blood flow from
the arterioles in the red pulp and marginal zone area. In contrast, T cells in the blood are
actively captured on high endothelial venules in lymph nodes by the coordinated actions of …
Abstract
While both the spleen and lymph nodes are called secondary lymphoid tissues, how lymphocytes enter these tissues are quite different from each other. This is because the architecture of the two types of organs and the mode of lymphocyte migration into these organs are quite distinct. In the spleen, T cells are passively released in the blood flow from the arterioles in the red pulp and marginal zone area. In contrast, T cells in the blood are actively captured on high endothelial venules in lymph nodes by the coordinated actions of CCR7 and several adhesion molecules. A recent finding indicates that T cells, released in the red pulp and marginal zone areas, actively find their way to the white zone by utilizing the migration track created by periarteriolar stromal cells. This finding adds one more piece to our understanding of lymphocyte migration for effective adaptive immune responses in the spleen.
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