Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine: http://www.expertreviews.org/
DOI: 10.1017/S1462399405010264; 20 December 2005
Beverley Wilkinson, Jocelyn S. Downey and Christopher E. Rudd (2005) T-cell signalling and immune system disorders.
Expert Rev. Mol. Med. Vol. 7, Issue 29, DOI: 10.1017/S1462399405010264

T-cell signalling and immune system disorders

Beverley Wilkinson, Jocelyn S. Downey and Christopher E. Rudd

Author contact details

T-cell receptor (TCR) engagement initiates intracellular signalling cascades that lead to T-cell proliferation, cytokine production and differentiation into effector cells. These cascades comprise an array of protein-tyrosine kinases, phosphatases, GTP-binding proteins and adaptor proteins that regulate generic and specialised functions. The integration of these signals is essential for the normal development, homeostasis and function of T cells. Defects in a single mediator can produce T cells that are unable to participate fully in an immune response and/or that mount an inappropriate response, which leads to immunodeficiency, autoimmunity or leukaemia/lymphomas. This review highlights some of the key players in T-cell signalling and their involvement in the development of various clinical disease states. Some of these immune-specific signalling proteins are attractive potential targets in the development of therapies to augment T-cell responses to antigen or tumours, and to treat immune cell disorders.

Full text online (purchase or subscribe through Cambridge Journals Online)

Free features associated with this article
Figure 1. Receptors on T cells and their ligands on antigen-presenting cells.
Web, PDF
Figure 2. The T-cell signalling paradigm.
Web, PDF
Figure 3. Adaptors and molecular scaffolds in T-cell signalling.
Web, PDF
Figure 4. JAK–STAT and Smad signalling cascades.
Web, PDF
Figure 5. Immune disorders associated with T-cell signalling.
Web, PDF
Table 1. T-cell signalling proteins and human disease.
Web, PDF

| home | search | glossary | links | sitemap | contact |

Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine © Cambridge University Press ISSN 1462-3994 (Disclaimer and copyright)
Editorial Office: Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET), 1st Floor, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1SB, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1223 765 375; Fax: +44(0)1223 765 505; E-mail: ermm@caret.cam.ac.uk