Abstract
T cells specific for haptens determine immunopathology, as for the recognition of the β-lactamic ring by CD4+ T helper cells, responsible for the severe immune response to Penicillin in allergic patients. In this review we report studies that address functional and molecular aspects of hapten recognition by α/β T cells, enlightening the most relevant examples of hapten-specific T cells and their role in vivo. Using Trinitrophenyl as a contact allergen model and tumor associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA) as antigen models in cancer, our laboratory extensively studied T cell recognition by hapten-specific T cells suggesting new, unexplored avenues for T cell-based immunotherapy. In fact, the evidence of hapten recognition by “conventional” α/β T cells is of a critical importance in designing new immunotherapeutic approaches to treat allergies, cancer and chronic viral diseases.
Keywords: Haptens, drugs, metals, TACA, antigen presenting cells, T cells, immunotherapy
Related Books
Science of Spices and Culinary Herbs - Latest Laboratory, Pre-clinical, and Clinical Studies
Advances in Organic Synthesis
Frontiers in Natural Product Chemistry
Recent Advances in Analytical Techniques
Frontiers in Drug Design and Discovery
Therapeutic Use of Plant Secondary Metabolites
Frontiers in Computational Chemistry
Frontiers in Bioactive Compounds
Photophysics of Supramolecular Architectures
Advances in Organic Synthesis
8