Abstract
The spleen is the largest secondary lymphoid organ in the body and, as such, hosts a wide range of immunologic functions alongside its roles in hematopoiesis and red blood cell clearance. The physical organization of the spleen allows it to filter blood of pathogens and abnormal cells and facilitate low-probability interactions between antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and cognate lymphocytes. APCs specific to the spleen regulate the T and B cell response to these antigenic targets in the blood. This review will focus on cell types, cell organization, and immunologic functions specific to the spleen and how these affect initiation of adaptive immunity to systemic blood-borne antigens. Potential differences in structure and function between mouse and human spleen will also be discussed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | eaau6085 |
| Journal | Science Immunology |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 33 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Funding
We thank the members of the Eisenbarth lab for their insights and I. T. Helenius, B. Edelson, J. Hendrickson, S. Stowell, J. Hamerman, and L. Zenewicz for critical review of the manuscript. S.C.E. was supported by R01 AI108829, CTSA UL1 TR001863, and P01HL13281901. A.W. was supported by R21 AI135221.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology