The Relationship of T-Cell Receptors and Factors

Abstract

It has been over ten years since the first description of antigen specific factors that act to regulate immune responses. Despite intensive investigations by numerous investigators a resolution of the central questions raised by the discovery of these factors has remained elusive. The major questions concern the molecular nature of the antigen-specific factors and their genetic relationship to the immunoglobulin super gene family and particularly to the recently described T-cell receptor; secondly, what is the molecular and genetic nature of the restricting element(s) that control the interaction of these antigen-specific factors and their target cells; and lastly why are antigen-specific (e.g. antigen-binding) factors necessary? The workshop convened to discuss these issues did not lead to their resolution, rather it served to underscore the urgent need for a more thorough molecular analysis of the T-cell factors and the restricting elements.