Major Effector Cells in Antitumor Immunity
| Cell surface marker | Cell type | Functions | Support of antitumor response |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD8 | CTLs | Induce apoptosis of infected and transformed cells | Yes |
| Recognize foreign antigens presented by class I MHC (HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C) | |||
| CD4 | Th1 (T helper 1) cells | Amplify CTL response by secreting cytokines | Yes |
| Recognize foreign antigens presented by class II MHC (HLA-DR) | |||
| Th2 (T helper 2) cells | Amplify B-cell antibody response by secreting cytokines | No | |
| Recognize foreign antigens presented by class II MHC (HLA-DR) | |||
| Regulatory T cells | Suppress effector cell functions of CTLs, Th1 cells, and Th2 cells | No | |
| Require antigen to become activated but will suppress immune responses against same or different antigens | |||
| NK1.1 | Natural killer cells | Induce apoptosis of infected and transformed cells | Yes |
| Recognize all cells failing to display antigen-presenting molecules |