title: Mechanisms of T cell development and transformation.
abstract: T cells are the key mediators in cell-mediated immunity. Their development and maturation involve a complex variety of interactions with nonlymphoid cell products and receptors. Highly specialized to defend against bacterial and viral infections, T cells also mediate immune surveillance against tumor cells and react to foreign tissues. T cell progenitors originate in the bone marrow and, through a series of defined and coordinated developmental stages, enter the thymus, differentiate, undergo selection, and eventually mature into functional T cells. The steps in this process are regulated through a complex transcriptional network, specific receptor-ligand pair interactions, and sensitization to trophic factors, which mediate the homing, proliferation, survival, and differentiation of developing T cells. This review examines the processes and pathways involved in the highly orchestrated development of T cell fate specification under physiological as well as pathological conditions.
authors: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Koch
authors: Freddy
authors: F
authors: Radtke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D018925:Chemokines / Q000276:immunology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018925:Chemokines; D051880:Receptors, Notch