Ready for T

Under attack, our immune system’s T cells prepare to receive an antigen – a chemical fingerprint they’ll use to recognise a pathogen – so they have to be ready. Using expansion microscopy to swell tiny biological details, here scientists capture the T-cell’s microvilli – tiny hair-like structures bristling out from the T-cells’ membranes (shown here in cross-section). Researchers believe the microvilli brush against the antigen, helping to activate a T-cell and awaken the immune response. Molecules moving into and out of the microvilli’s tips, (highlighted in purple, green and yellow) may help to prepare the T-cell for receiving the antigen. Understanding these early steps help scientists discover how some pathogens avoid discovery, or develop new therapies to help those with weakened immune systems.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image adapted from work by Yunmin Jung and colleagues
• Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation, and Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Nature Communications, June 2021