CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from patients had defective immunological synapse formation with APCs, according to paper in The JCI.
Researchers at Barts and The London School of Medicine have found the mechanism through which chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells limit immune cell attack.
For CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to become activated they must contact cells known as APCs through the immunological synapse. In the study, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from patients with CLL were found to exhibit defective immunological synapse formation with APCs, according to the scientists. Also, if CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from healthy individuals were cultured with CLL APCs, they showed defective immunological synapse formation.
The authors suggest that approaches to overcoming immunological synapse defects might improve the efficacy of investigational cancer drugs that are based on enhancing the antitumor activity of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.
The study was published in the June 12 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
