T cell

A diagram showing the activation of T cells.

A T cell is a type of lymphocyte, a white blood cell.

It plays an important role in the immune system by attacking virus-infected cells, foreign cells, and cancer cells. The "T" in T cell stands for thymus. The thymus is where T cells are developed.

Types

• Cytotoxic T cells (T_c cells)

• Helper T cells, (T_h cells)

• Regulatory T cells (T_reg cells), used to be called suppressor T cells

• Natural Killer T cells (NKT cells)

• γδ T cells

Other websites

• Janeway, Charles A. et al. 2001. Immunobiology. 5th ed, New York and London: Garland. [1]
• The Immune System (PDF)
• (Successful!) Treatment of metastatic melanoma with autologous CD4+ T cells against NY-ESO-1