title: Rationalizing thymic selection for functional T-cells: A commentary.
abstract: What are the minimum specificity requirements of a thymic selective process that establishes (1) restrictive recognition of peptide, (2) the Self (S)-Nonself (NS) discrimination, and (3) the categories of effector function? Given an answer to that question, how well does it fit with the observed selective processes in thymus where T-cells are generated? Any discrepancies between the two must be rationalized. The goal of this essay is to attempt just that.
authors.affiliation: Conceptual Immunology Group, The Salk Institute, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037-1099, USA. Electronic address: cohn@salk.edu.
authors.forename: Melvin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohn
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D017634:Self Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
keywords: Cytotoxic T-cells; Peripheralized T-cells; T-helpers; T-suppressors; Thymic negative selection; Thymic positive selection