Deficient Cellular Immunity--Finding and Fixing the Defects
Philip D. Greenberg,
*
Stanley R. Riddell
The critical role of cellular immunity in resistance to
infectious diseases is glaringly revealed by life-threatening
infections if T cell function is disrupted by an inherited or acquired
immunodeficiency. Although treatment has historically focused on
infectious complications, understanding of the cellular and molecular
basis of immunodeficiency and technologies useful for enhancing
cellular immunity have both been rapidly evolving. A new era of
molecular and cellular therapy is emerging as approaches to correct
abnormal genes, the loss of T cell subpopulations, and aberrant T cell
homeostasis make the transition from bench to bedside.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Departments of Medicine
and Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
pgreen{at}u.washington.edu