Milton Matthew, Mansour Salah
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Front Immunol. 2025 Jul 10;16:1629466. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1629466. eCollection 2025.
CD1-restricted T cells constitute an unconventional arm of immunity that recognises lipid antigens, a feature particularly pertinent to (Mtb), a pathogen with a lipid-rich cell wall. Unlike classical MHC-restricted responses, CD1-mediated lipid antigen presentation includes donor-unrestricted T cell responses, offering a promising pathway for universally protective tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. This review explores the biology of CD1 isoforms, the functional diversity of CD1-restricted T cell subsets, and their roles in TB immunity. We discuss Mtb's lipid antigens, mechanisms of CD1 trafficking and antigen presentation, immune evasion strategies, and emerging translational insights. By highlighting key knowledge gaps and future directions, we argue that harnessing CD1-restricted T cells could unlock novel vaccine strategies against the world's leading infectious killer.
CD1 限制性 T 细胞构成了免疫系统中一个非常规的分支，可识别脂质抗原，这一特性对于结核分枝杆菌（Mtb）这种具有富含脂质细胞壁的病原体尤为相关。与经典的 MHC 限制性反应不同，CD1 介导的脂质抗原呈递包括供体非限制性 T 细胞反应，为通用保护性结核病（TB）疫苗提供了一条有前景的途径。本综述探讨了 CD1 异构体的生物学特性、CD1 限制性 T 细胞亚群的功能多样性及其在结核病免疫中的作用。我们讨论了结核分枝杆菌的脂质抗原、CD1 转运和抗原呈递机制、免疫逃避策略以及新出现的转化见解。通过强调关键的知识空白和未来方向，我们认为利用 CD1 限制性 T 细胞可能会开启针对全球主要感染性杀手的新型疫苗策略。
