Abstract
It is well established that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a critical role in the generation of innate immune responses and thereby also play an important, indirect role in the initiation of subsequent adaptive T cell responses. However, T cells also express certain TLRs, and we have focused on the physiological importance of direct TLR signaling in T cells. TLRs can function as co-stimulatory receptors that complement TCR-induced signals to enhance effector T cell proliferation, survival and cytokine production. We also found that TLR signaling pathways in T cells are required for the effective clonal expansion of antigen-specific T cells during infection in vivo. Thus, the importance of TLRs in T cell-mediated immunity reflects both T cell-extrinsic and T cell-intrinsic components, which warrants a reconsideration of the dogma that restricts germ-line encoded pattern recognition to cells of the innate immune system.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 25-36 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Immunologic Research |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- CD4 T cell
- CD8 T cell
- Clonal expansion
- Co-stimulation
- Inflammation
- MyD88
- PAMP
- TLR