T cells, or T lymphocytes, develop in the thymus, and are a subfamily of circulating leucocytes that play an important role in the adaptive immune response and furthermore serve as crucial effector cells through antigen-specific cytotoxic activity and the production of soluble mediators (cytokines/chemokines). The characteristic feature of all T cells are clonal antigen-specific heterodimeric receptor molecules on the surface (T cell receptor; TCR). The accessory molecules CD4 and CD8 define the effector function and MHC restriction of T cells. Some T cells migrate to various locations throughout the body and interact with antibody production of B cells. Subsets of T cells (CD4+) have been classified as type 1 or type 2 T helper cells, depending on the cytokines they produce. Another subset is formed by the (CD8+) cytotoxic T cells.
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(2016). T Cell. In: Vohr, HW. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immunotoxicology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_201418
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_201418
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