title: How the immune system protects the host from infection.
abstract: The immune system is made up of sets of interacting cells. The first to respond in all cases are the antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which are equipped with receptors for microbial patterns. Engagement of these receptors induces co-stimulatory molecules on the surface of the APCs, and allows it to stimulate potent CD4 T-cell responses, and also CD8 T-cell responses. This in turn leads to B-cell-derived antibody responses. The entire response is controlled by suppressor T cells, as predicted many years ago by Richard Gershon.
authors.affiliation: Section of Immunobiology, LH 416, PO Box 208011, Yale University School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New Haven, CT 06520-8011, USA. charles.janeway@yale.edu
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Janeway
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology