T cells
TO DEFEAT the enemy, you must first know the enemy. In the immune system, that job is done by T-cells, which recognise the molecular signatures of threats to their owner’s well-being - The Economist
image by: Galina Cordero
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Mr T-cell
It is a long way from the lab to the clinic. But the technology is moving fast, and researchers hope that, one day, engineered T-cells might be used to treat a wide range of diseases, including HIV, immune deficiencies, and autoimmune disorders. Besides the elegance of the idea of boosting the body’s own defences, the technology offers another big advantage over traditional drugs: once they have done their job, the engineered T-cells stick around in the body. That could offer protection against re-infection or the recurrence of a cancer.
Resources
A geeky quiz says what kind of immune cell you are. Bonus: See our immune cell primer
B cells manufacture antibodies, but they need help getting started. Helper T cells supply that help. They are the ones that say to the B cells, "OK team, we have a situation here and it's time for you to get going and begin pumping out antibodies." They also wake up macrophages, which kill and eat up cells where SARS-CoV-2 is hiding out.
COVID: why T cell vaccines could be the key to long-term immunity
If we want to develop lasting immunity to COVID, it’s perhaps time to look again at our wider immune response. Antibodies are just one part of our intricate and intertwined immune system. Specifically, it’s maybe time we focused on T cells.
Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs): Guardians Against Infection
Greater knowledge of this system, and how it works, is necessary to understand both SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and how to control it late in disease.
T-Cell Therapy: Here’s How the Latest Cancer ‘Breakthrough’ Actually Works
By reprogramming the body's immune system to recognise cancers, researchers were able to cure 94 percent of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Tumor-Targeting T Cells Engineered
Scientists genetically modify T cells derived from pluripotent stem cells to attack lymphatic tumors.
Mr T-cell
TO DEFEAT the enemy, you must first know the enemy. In the immune system, that job is done by T-cells, which recognise the molecular signatures of threats to their owner’s well-being.
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