Co-potentiation of antigen recognition: A mechanism to boost weak T cell responses and provide immunotherapy in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Adaptive immunity is mediated by antigen receptors that can induce weak or strong immune responses depending on the nature of the antigen that is bound. In T lymphocytes, antigen recognition triggers signal transduction by clustering T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 multiprotein complexes. In addition, it hypothesized that biophysical changes induced in TCR/CD3 that accompany receptor engagement may contribute to signal intensity. Nonclustering monovalent TCR/CD3 engagement is functionally inert despite the fact that it may induce changes in conformational arrangement or in the flexibility of receptor subunits. We report that the intrinsically inert monovalent engagement of TCR/CD3 can specifically enhance physiologic T cell responses to weak antigens in vitro and in vivo without stimulating anti

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4646799 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature