Mucosal T Cells

There are more T cells in the gastrointestinal tract and lung than in the rest of the body combined. The aim of this book is to cover all the important aspects of the biology of these cells in animals and in man. Basic observations are described as well as disease states where aberrant activation of mucosal T cells causes tissue damage. The continuing discovery of features of mucosal T cells which make them different from T cells in the periphery is a consistent theme throughout the text. Topics discussed include new developments in understanding why the characteristic response of mucosal T cells to soluble antigens is tolerance, the role of the gut epithelium in intestinal immunity, the molecular basis by which T cells home to the gut mucosa, the functions of gammadelta T cells, the discovery of a new lymphoid organ - the cryptopatch - in the mouse gut, and the remarkable oligoclonality of the alphabeta and gammadelta T cells in the gut epithelium. In more disease-related sections, the way in which T cells play a role in asthma and protection from parasite infection, and how they cause inflammatory bowel disease in man and animals are described. Providing an excellent survey of the field, this book is a valuable resource for both basic scientists and clinicians interested in intestinal immunology and gastrointestinal disease.