The CD8+ T cell is one of the most well-characterized immune cells in humans. Their biological roles in anti-viral and tumor responses with their unique capacity to undergo clonal expansion, and functional maturation, are unequivocally central to the effective immune control of viral infection and tumor eradication. Equally as important is the observation in which chronic sustained stimulation leads to functional exhaustion. Just as we thought we knew everything about these cells, however, there still exists an enigma and controversy shared by many that challenges the current dogma and points to the unknown with respect to their biology and immunological roles. The surprises come from the recent studies on functional genomics, particularly the study of transcriptomics attempting to define a link between gene expressions, functional exhaustion, and phenotypic maturation. Overall, there are yet as many novel observations left in this area of research.
There are countless publications related to the biology of human CD8+ T cells and arguably, CD8+ T cells are one of the best-characterized cells in the human immune system. Rather than focusing on the narrowly defined subject matter, this research topic aims to broaden the overall understanding of CD8+ T cells by examining recent advances in molecular aspects of functional exhaustion and phenotypic maturation in the context of anti-viral and tumor response. Also, the topic covers the discussion of subsets with nonclassical functions (e.g. helper and regulatory) emerging during persistent viral infection and prolonged anti-tumor response. Another important consideration under the scope of this research topic is to highlight the in vitro model of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell maturation and exhaustion with a variety of antigens, and discuss the modulation of these processes potentially by not only the known cytokines/chemokines but also unconventional factors including neurotransmitters and bioactive lipids (e.g. serotonin, and PGE2) impact on human CD8+ T cells.
We encourage the submission of original research and review articles related to the topic but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
· Functional genomics analysis of human CD8+ T cell maturation(differentiation) and exhaustion in anti-viral and tumor responses
· In vitro characterization of human CD8+ T cell functional and phenotypic development by the unconventional T cell modifiers
· Human CD8+ T cell subsets with unconventional CD8+ T cell functions and their development
· Development of noncanonical human CD8+ T cell maturation paths (e.g. linear vs branched) and Mathematical model depicting
· Modifications of pAPCs (e.g. DCs) functions by direct Interaction with human CD8+ T cell in vitro and in vivo
The CD8+ T cell is one of the most well-characterized immune cells in humans. Their biological roles in anti-viral and tumor responses with their unique capacity to undergo clonal expansion, and functional maturation, are unequivocally central to the effective immune control of viral infection and tumor eradication. Equally as important is the observation in which chronic sustained stimulation leads to functional exhaustion. Just as we thought we knew everything about these cells, however, there still exists an enigma and controversy shared by many that challenges the current dogma and points to the unknown with respect to their biology and immunological roles. The surprises come from the recent studies on functional genomics, particularly the study of transcriptomics attempting to define a link between gene expressions, functional exhaustion, and phenotypic maturation. Overall, there are yet as many novel observations left in this area of research.
There are countless publications related to the biology of human CD8+ T cells and arguably, CD8+ T cells are one of the best-characterized cells in the human immune system. Rather than focusing on the narrowly defined subject matter, this research topic aims to broaden the overall understanding of CD8+ T cells by examining recent advances in molecular aspects of functional exhaustion and phenotypic maturation in the context of anti-viral and tumor response. Also, the topic covers the discussion of subsets with nonclassical functions (e.g. helper and regulatory) emerging during persistent viral infection and prolonged anti-tumor response. Another important consideration under the scope of this research topic is to highlight the in vitro model of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell maturation and exhaustion with a variety of antigens, and discuss the modulation of these processes potentially by not only the known cytokines/chemokines but also unconventional factors including neurotransmitters and bioactive lipids (e.g. serotonin, and PGE2) impact on human CD8+ T cells.
We encourage the submission of original research and review articles related to the topic but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
· Functional genomics analysis of human CD8+ T cell maturation(differentiation) and exhaustion in anti-viral and tumor responses
· In vitro characterization of human CD8+ T cell functional and phenotypic development by the unconventional T cell modifiers
· Human CD8+ T cell subsets with unconventional CD8+ T cell functions and their development
· Development of noncanonical human CD8+ T cell maturation paths (e.g. linear vs branched) and Mathematical model depicting
· Modifications of pAPCs (e.g. DCs) functions by direct Interaction with human CD8+ T cell in vitro and in vivo