Licence to kill

A Lanzavecchia - Nature, 1998 - nature.com
Nature, 1998nature.com
To kill invading pathogens, the immune system often has to kill its own infected cells. But
how does it control this potentially dangerous mechanism? Three groups have done
experiments that support one model of T-cell activation. T-helper cells recognize a specific
antigen on professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and deliver a signal that activates,
or'licenses', the APC. This activated APC can then stimulate the T-killer cells to mount a
response against that antigen.
To kill invading pathogens, the immune system often has to kill its own infected cells. But how does it control this potentially dangerous mechanism? Three groups have done experiments that support one model of T-cell activation. T-helper cells recognize a specific antigen on professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and deliver a signal that activates, or 'licenses', the APC. This activated APC can then stimulate the T-killer cells to mount a response against that antigen.
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