Major Histocompatibility Complex-T-Cell Receptor complex (MHC-TCR)

The Major Histocompatibility Complex-T-Cell Receptor (MHC-TCR) complex is the fundamental unit of the adaptive immune system responsible for recognizing foreign and self-antigens. This system involves the processing of proteins into peptides by antigen-presenting cells, which are then displayed on the cell surface via MHC Class I or Class II molecules (Rock et al., 2016). The T-cell receptor (TCR) specifically binds to these peptide-MHC complexes, initiating a signal transduction cascade that leads to T-cell activation and the subsequent immune response (Gaudino and Kumar, 2019). This recognition process is essential for the elimination of pathogens and the surveillance of malignant cells, but it also plays a central role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection (Abbas et al., 2014). Pharmacological intervention in this pathway includes the use of immunosuppressants that inhibit TCR signaling, as well as cancer immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cells that modulate or bypass the MHC-TCR interaction to enhance anti-tumor activity (Janeway et al., 2001).

Other names

Antigen processing and presentation pathwayT-cell activation pathwayMHC-restricted antigen recognitionAdaptive immune recognition systemBroad adaptive immune system components via antigen processing and MHC-TCR recognition

Modulation of T-cell receptor signaling and co-stimulatory pathways to regulate immune responses.