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Exploiting beneficial alloreactive T cells
Author(s) -
Barber L. D.,
Madrigal J. A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2006.00775.x
Subject(s) - immunology , graft versus host disease , immunotherapy , transplantation , population , antigen , stem cell , t cell , haematopoiesis , immune tolerance , biology , cancer research , immune system , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , surgery , environmental health
Although the T‐cell response to allogeneic cells is typically regarded as a detrimental phenomenon responsible for rejection of transplanted allografts and graft‐vs.‐host disease following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, beneficial components also exist within the alloreactive population. Alloreactive T cells specific for tumour antigens can contribute to the elimination of malignant cells, and alloantigen‐specific regulatory T cells can promote transplant tolerance. The challenge is to separate the good from the bad. We review how the identification, isolation and manipulation of beneficial alloreactive T cells has grown from a greater understanding of the molecular basis of the T‐cell alloresponse and how alloaggression could be exploited for immunotherapy.