title: Innate and adaptive effects of inflammasomes on T cell responses.
abstract: Inflammasomes are protein complexes that form in response to pathogen-derived or host-derived stress signals. Their activation leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines and promotes a pyrogenic cell death process. The massive release of inflammatory mediators that follows inflammasome activation is a key event in alarming innate immune cells. Growing evidence also highlights the role of inflammasome-dependent cytokines in shaping the adaptive immune response, as exemplified by the capacity of IL-1β to support Th17 responses, or by the finding that IL-18 evokes antigen-independent IFN-γ secretion by memory CD8(+) T cells. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms and on how to manipulate this powerful inflammatory system therefore represents an important step forward in the development of improved vaccine strategies.
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, 162a Avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dostert
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludigs
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guarda
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D058847:Inflammasomes / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D058847:Inflammasomes; D020170:Caspase 1