Targeting T cell responses by selective chemokine receptor expression.
Immune responses require the orchestrated migration of T cells throughout the body. Conventional CD4+ and CD8+ alphabeta T cells undergo clonal expansion in the secondary lymphoid tissues, during which they are programmed to migrate into specific non-lymphoid tissues and other lymphoid effector sites such as B cell follicles. By contrast, T cell populations expressing receptors with limited diversity (i.e. gammadelta T cells and NK T cells) appear to be preprogrammed to localize in non-lymphoid tissues where they monitor tissue integrity or serve regulatory functions. By promoting chemotaxis and integrin activation, chemokines and their receptors (in conjunction with surface adhesion molecules) control these T cell homing events. Thus, expression of chemokine receptors defines T cells with tropism for particular tissues and/or microenvironments, and identifies T cell subsets with distinct functional properties.
Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA. campbell@benaroyaresearch.org
Daniel J
DJ
Campbell
Gudrun F
GF
Debes
Brent
B
Johnston
Eric
E
Wilson
Eugene C
EC
Butcher
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
D019707:Receptors, Chemokine