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Molecular
Medicine
Faculty Selected Research Work |
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Development
of Effector T Lymphocytes The University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, (415) 476-9000 Copyright 2003, The Regents of the University of California.
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that use highly evolved recognition elements to maintain protection against
foreign microbes. T lymphocytes differentiate from a naive state to an
effector state. The latter is characterized by the ability to secrete
large amounts of potent molecules, termed cytokines, that collectively
orchestrate and focus the attack against pathogens. Different types of
pathogenic organisms require different types of immune responses, that
are defined by the spectrum of cytokines produced by the effector T lymphocytes.
The most characterized effector subsets, termed type 1 and type 2 immunity,
are associated with host defense against intracellular and intestinal
pathogens, such as viruses and worms, respectively. In some cases, dysregulation
of these type 1 and type 2 responses has been associated with tissue-destructive
inflammatory disease, including autoimmune diseases, and allergy, respectively.
My laboratory uses characterized challenges in inbred strains of mice
to define genetic determinants that underlie the proclivity to form type
1 or type 2 responses. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms
for the generation of these effector T lymphocytes may provide insights
into the genetic susceptibility to infectious and autoimmune diseases.