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Here, Teunis Geijtenbeek and Sonja Gringhuis discuss the role of the signalling pathways induced by C-type lectin receptors in determining T helper cell lineage commitment and describe how these pathways can be exploited for the development of new vaccination strategies.
In this Review, the authors discuss the central roles of the common cytokine receptor γ-chain (γc) family of cytokines, as well as the related cytokine TSLP, in the homeostasis, proliferation and differentiation of various T cell subsets and describe how these cytokines could be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
Studies showing how BAFF and its closely related homologue APRIL activate their receptors and transmit growth and survival signals to B cells have shed new light on the association between BAFF and autoimmunity. This knowledge has prompted several clinical trials testing BAFF and APRIL antagonists for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and lymphomas.
To limit detection by host T cells, viruses have evolved numerous mechanisms to inhibit viral antigens being processed and presented by MHC class I molecules. As described here, studying these viral immune evasion strategies is proving useful for understanding MHC class I presentation and other cellular pathways.
Cell death has a vital role in maintaining homeostasis in the T cell pool. However, the specific roles of BIM and CD95 in the contraction phase of T cell responses has been controversial. Recent studies show that BIM and CD95 have complementary roles in this process.
The identification of biomarkers of transplantation tolerance holds promise to improve the care of transplant recipients and advance our understanding of alloreactive immune responses. What progress has been made towards reaching this goal and what challenges remain?
