Cell-mediated immunity and the CNS a key role for γ interferon

Abstract

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is concerned with the elimination of cells that are modified by, for instance, infection with viruses1. The specific operators of CMI are the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells), which recognize viral (or other non-self) components presented in the context of self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) glycoproteins. Cells that do not express MHC antigen are not recognized by T lymphocytes2-4, even though they may be producing infectious virus. Many CNS cells present little, if any, MHC glycoprotein5,6. A new and important finding6 is that the level of MHC expression in cultured brain cells can be greatly enhanced by exposure to γ-interferon (IFN-γ), which is se..