Spatial and functional heterogeneity of follicular helper T cells in autoimmunity
A Seth, J Craft - Current opinion in immunology, 2019 - Elsevier
A Seth, J Craft
Current opinion in immunology, 2019•ElsevierHighlights•Tfh cells drive isotype switch and affinity maturation of pathogenic
autoantibodies.•Tfh cell subsets acquire unique functional properties based on the cytokine
milieu.•T cells that help B cells localize to germinal centers or extrafollicular spaces.•Tfh cells
are therapeutic targets in autoimmune disease.Follicular helper T cells provide signals that
promote B cell development, proliferation, and production of affinity matured and
appropriately isotype switched antibodies. In addition to their classical locations within B cell …
autoantibodies.•Tfh cell subsets acquire unique functional properties based on the cytokine
milieu.•T cells that help B cells localize to germinal centers or extrafollicular spaces.•Tfh cells
are therapeutic targets in autoimmune disease.Follicular helper T cells provide signals that
promote B cell development, proliferation, and production of affinity matured and
appropriately isotype switched antibodies. In addition to their classical locations within B cell …
Highlights
- Tfh cells drive isotype switch and affinity maturation of pathogenic autoantibodies.
- Tfh cell subsets acquire unique functional properties based on the cytokine milieu.
- T cells that help B cells localize to germinal centers or extrafollicular spaces.
- Tfh cells are therapeutic targets in autoimmune disease.
Follicular helper T cells provide signals that promote B cell development, proliferation, and production of affinity matured and appropriately isotype switched antibodies. In addition to their classical locations within B cell follicles and germinal centers therein, B cell helper T cells are also found in extrafollicular spaces–either in secondary lymphoid or non-lymphoid tissues. Both follicular and extrafollicular T helper cells drive autoantibody-mediated autoimmunity. Interfering with B cell help provided by T cells can ameliorate autoimmune disease in animal models and human patients. The next frontier in Tfh cell biology will be identification of Tfh cell-specific pathogenic changes in autoimmunity and exploiting them for therapeutic purposes.
Elsevier