Experimental Immunology, Department of Research, University of Basel and University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
Int Immunol. 2022 Feb 23;34(3):141-147. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxab101.
The discovery that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-related molecule 1 (MR1) presents microbial antigens to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells was a significant scientific milestone in the last decade. Surveillance for foreign metabolically derived antigens added a new class of target structures for immune recognition. The recent identification of a second family of MR1-restricted T cells, called MR1T cells, which show self-reactivity suggests the microbial antigens characterized so far may only represent a handful of the potential structures presented by MR1. Furthermore, the reactivity of MR1T cells towards tumours and not healthy cells indicates tight regulation in the generation of self-antigens and in MR1 expression and antigen loading. These novel and exciting observations invite consideration of new perspectives of MR1-restricted antigen presentation and its wider role within immunity and disease.
过去十年间，人们发现主要组织相容性复合体（MHC）I 类相关分子 1（MR1）能够将微生物抗原呈递给黏膜相关不变 T（MAIT）细胞，这是一项重大的科学里程碑。对外来代谢衍生抗原的监测为免疫识别增加了新的靶结构类别。最近发现了第二类 MR1 限制性 T 细胞，称为 MR1T 细胞，其具有自身反应性，这表明迄今为止表征的微生物抗原可能仅代表由 MR1 呈递的潜在结构的一小部分。此外，MR1T 细胞对肿瘤而非健康细胞的反应表明，在自身抗原的产生以及 MR1 的表达和抗原加载方面存在严格的调控。这些新颖而令人兴奋的观察结果，使得人们可以考虑 MR1 限制性抗原呈递的新视角，及其在免疫和疾病中的更广泛作用。
