Thymic development of unconventional T cells: how NKT cells, MAIT cells and γδ T cells emerge

DG Pellicci; HF Koay; SP Berzins

Journal article

Thymic development of unconventional T cells: how NKT cells, MAIT cells and γδ T cells emerge

DG Pellicci, HF Koay, SP Berzins

Nature Reviews Immunology | Published : 2020

DOI: 10.1038/s41577-020-0345-y

Abstract

T cell lineages are defined by specialized functions and differential expression of surface antigens, cytokines and transcription factors. Conventional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are the best studied of the T cell subsets, but ‘unconventional’ T cells have emerged as being more abundant and influential than has previously been appreciated. Key subsets of unconventional T cells include natural killer T (NKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and γδ T cells; collectively, these make up ~10% of circulating T cells, and often they are the majority of T cells in tissues such as the liver and gut mucosa. Defects and deficiencies in unconventional T cells are associated with autoimmunit..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Daniel Pellicci Author

Fern Koay Author

Stuart Berzins Author

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Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

D.G.P. is supported by a CSL Centenary Fellowship and by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) project grants (1145373,1140126 and 1122890). H.-F.K. is supported by an NHMRC ECF Fellowship (1160333), and S.P.B. is supported by a Dorevitch Cancer Research Fellowship.