Abstract
Gammadelta T cells remain an enigma. They are capable of generating more unique antigen receptors than alphabeta T cells and B cells combined, yet their repertoire of antigen receptors is dominated by specific subsets that recognize a limited number of antigens. A variety of sometimes conflicting effector functions have been ascribed to them, yet their biological function(s) remains unclear. On the basis of studies of gammadelta T cells in infectious and autoimmune diseases, we argue that gammadelta T cells perform different functions according to their tissue distribution, antigen-receptor structure and local microenvironment; we also discuss how and at what stage of the immune response they become activated.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 336-345 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nature Reviews Immunology |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2002 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Autoantigens
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Cell Lineage
- Disease Models, Animal
- Genes, T-Cell Receptor
- Humans
- Immunologic Surveillance
- Infection
- Mice
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
- T-Lymphocytes