Contribution of in vivo and ex vivo studies to understanding the role of antigen-presenting cells and T cell subsets in immunity to cattle diseases.
In vivo and ex vivo studies of the immune system in relation to infectious disease that are carried out in the natural target species provide data that are relevant to understanding the biology of the immune cells and immunity to infection. This is particularly the case for diseases that show host specificity. Ex vivo studies that exploit the surgical cannulation of lymphatic ducts have allowed access to natural dendritic cells. Investigations of these cells have revealed the presence of subpopulations that differ in their ability to stimulate T cells and differ in the range of cytokines synthesized. These differences would be forecast to have major effects on the bias and type of immune response that are induced. Studies in vivo of the effect of depleting T-cell populations with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have shown how different T-cell populations have differing critical roles for different infectious diseases, and how they may contribute to the immune response and pathology after infection. Here the case is made for how studies in cattle have aided our understanding of immunity to several infections that can be exploited for the rational design of effective vaccination and control strategies.
Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK. chris.howard@bbsrc.ac.uk
C J
CJ
Howard
J C
JC
Hope
B
B
Villarreal-Ramos
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D007107:Immune System; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes