Immune cells via cell-cell contact and secretome

The term Immune cells via cell-cell contact and secretome refers to the integrated signaling network through which leukocytes coordinate immune responses. Cell-cell contact, or juxtacrine signaling, involves direct membrane-to-membrane interactions, such as the immunological synapse formed between T cells and antigen-presenting cells (Alberts et al., 2002, Molecular Biology of the Cell). The secretome encompasses the total collection of secreted proteins, including cytokines (e.g., interleukins, interferons) and chemokines, which act via paracrine or endocrine mechanisms to modulate the microenvironment (Karin et al., 2006, Nature). This dual-mode communication is essential for maintaining homeostasis and responding to threats, but its dysregulation is central to the pathogenesis of cancer, autoimmunity, and chronic inflammation (Medzhitov, 2008, Nature). In oncology, therapeutic interventions like checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1/PD-L1) target the cell-cell contact interface to restore anti-tumor immunity (Pardoll, 2012, Nature Reviews Cancer). Conversely, in inflammatory diseases, biologics often target the secretome by neutralizing specific cytokines like TNF-alpha or IL-6. Because this entry describes a broad physiological process involving multiple cell types and hundreds of potential molecules, it does not constitute a single, discrete therapeutic target.

Other names

Immune cell communicationLeukocyte signaling systemImmune interactome

Modulation of immune cell-cell interactions and neutralization of secreted signaling molecules