Cellular and Molecular Biology for Research

The initial critical challenge in B-cell development is the creation of B cells with an extensive repertoire—billions of B-cell receptor specificities—capable of responding to virtually any foreign element entering the body. The diversity of antibodi... more

The fate of a mature, naïve T cell depends on the signals it encounters. Most naïve T cells perish within days or weeks after exiting the thymus, as they fail to bind to MHC-peptide complexes while scanning the surface of antigen-presenting cells (AP... more

Mature T lymphocytes possess a diverse T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire that is self-tolerant while being restricted to self-MHC. This delicate balance is achieved through a series of stringent selection processes in the thymus, akin to natural selec... more

If antigen-presenting cells serve as the bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, then MHC molecules act as the essential tools enabling this connection. These molecules hold antigenic fragments and present them to T-cell receptors, activating th... more

Since the early twentieth century, when it was first recognized that antibody molecules could specifically identify and bind to a vast array of antigens, immunologists have sought to understand how a limited amount of genetic information could encode... more

The complement system is a collection of serum proteins, many of which circulate in inactive forms and require cleavage or conformational changes for activation. These proteins include initiator molecules, enzymatic mediators, membrane-binding compon... more

It is fitting that an introduction to the nature and mechanisms of immune responses begins with innate immunity, as the cells, tissues, and molecules of this system play a crucial role in providing early protection against infection. The first line o... more

One of the primary challenges in initiating an immune response is coordinating cells distributed across different areas, often separated by physical barriers like endothelial cell layers. This communication relies on small molecules such as chemokine... more