[New insights into cytotoxic effector cells].
Cytotoxic immune cells play a role against infectious or tumour invasion. There are two types of cytotoxic cells : those involved in innate or natural immunity (natural killer cells, Tgammadelta lymphocytes, NKT cells) and those involved in the adaptive or acquired immunity (cytotoxic T lymphocytes). Recent advances in immunology have allowed the characterisation of unconventional cytotoxic populations, to better individualise the real cytotoxic cells within the traditional CD8+ T-cell population, and finally to get more insights into the activation of the cytotoxicity properties, in particular with regard to NK cells. The data recently acquired concerning the effector cytotoxic cells contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between the immune system and tumour cells. This may provide rational basis for combined immunotherapy protocols.
Rey
J
J
Laboratoire d'immunologie des tumeurs, Département d'hématologie, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, 232 boulevard Sainte-Marguerite, 13009 Marseille.
Olive
D
D
Sébahoun
G
G
O'Callaghan
T
T
Costello
Régis T
RT
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic