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Sci. STKE, 3 October 2006
Vol. 2006, Issue 355, p. tw341
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.3552006tw341]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Immunology Stop to Start

Stephen Simpson

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

The T cell surface receptor CTLA-4 helps dampen immune responses, and deficiency in the protein can lead to uncontrolled immune activation and autoimmunity. This effect has been attributed to the loss of negative signals that down-regulate T cell activation. Schneider et al. (see the Perspective by Mustelin) tracked T cells as they interacted with activating dendritic cells in culture and in vivo. CTLA-4 appeared to stimulate roaming of T cells away from dendritic cells, which lessened the likelihood that the T cells would remain activated. This finding makes CTLA-4 a potentially important clinical target.

H. Schneider, J. Downey, A. Smith, B. H. Zinselmeyer, C. Rush, J. M. Brewer, B. Wei, N. Hogg, P. Garside, C. E. Rudd, Reversal of the TCR stop signal by CTLA-4. Science 313, 1972-1975 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]

T. Mustelin, Restless T cells sniff and go. Science 313, 1902-1903 (2006). [Summary] [Full Text]

Citation: S. Simpson, Stop to Start. Sci. STKE 2006, tw341 (2006).

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