T cell immunity
- August 16, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Science and tech
Context:
SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity prevents recurrent severe COVID-19 disease
Concept:
- T cells (also called T lymphocytes) are one of the major components of the adaptive immune system.
- Their roles include directly killing infected host cells, activating other immune cells, producing cytokines and regulating the immune response.
- There are two major types of T cells: the helper T cell and the cytotoxic T cell.
- As the names suggest, helper T cells ‘help’ other cells of the immune system, whilst cytotoxic T cells kill virally infected cells and tumours.