title: The role of bystander T cells in CNS pathology and pathogen clearance.
abstract: It is generally accepted that both self- and pathogen-specific T lymphocytes have the potential to mediate immunopathogenesis and contribute to a variety of human ailments. Despite this unfortunate tendency to induce tissue injury, these cells are guided by interactions with peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) and adhere appropriately to a vital evolutionary constraint imposed by the host: specificity. More recently, a series of studies have demonstrated that bystander T cells of an irrelevant specificity can bypass peptide/MHC restriction and become active participants in immunopathology. This review critically evaluates the role of bystander T cells in immunopathogenesis and pathogen clearance in the periphery as well as the central nervous system and attempts to establish the likelihood of their participation in human disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. mcgad@scripps.edu
authors.forename: Dorian B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: McGavern
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D024201:Bystander Effect / Q000276:immunology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology