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Review
. 2019 Sep;20(9):1110-1128.
doi: 10.1038/s41590-019-0444-8. Epub 2019 Aug 12.

The biology and functional importance of MAIT cells

Dale I Godfrey  1   2 , Hui-Fern Koay  3   4 , James McCluskey  3 , Nicholas A Gherardin  3   4
Affiliations
Review

The biology and functional importance of MAIT cells

Dale I Godfrey et al. Nat Immunol. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

In recent years, a population of unconventional T cells called 'mucosal-associated invariant T cells' (MAIT cells) has captured the attention of immunologists and clinicians due to their abundance in humans, their involvement in a broad range of infectious and non-infectious diseases and their unusual specificity for microbial riboflavin-derivative antigens presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like protein MR1. MAIT cells use a limited T cell antigen receptor (TCR) repertoire with public antigen specificities that are conserved across species. They can be activated by TCR-dependent and TCR-independent mechanisms and exhibit rapid, innate-like effector responses. Here we review evidence showing that MAIT cells are a key component of the immune system and discuss their basic biology, development, role in disease and immunotherapeutic potential.

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References

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