CD4 T lymphocytes form a subgroup of T lymphocytes that is responsible for cell-mediated immune responses.
Synonyms
T helper cell
CD4 cells
Detailed description
T lymphocytes carrying the surface antigen CD4 are called T helper cells. After activation, they release substances that are either involved in cell-mediated immunity or that stimulate B cell immune responses. HIV infects mainly this T lymphocyte subgroup.
In 2016, a clinical phase I trial on a potential vaccine against the dreaded Ebola virus was successfully completed. The tested vaccine “rVSV-ZEBOV” proved to be safe and effective. In a further trial
During pregnancy, a mother’s immune system is suppressed to protect the fetus, which is perceived as a foreign body because it is genetically different. A partly DZIF funded study in mice found that
The human immunodeficiency virus has to overcome major obstacles to infect inactive immune cells. DZIF scientists have investigated the defence mechanism of these cells and found indications of a new
Since autumn 2015, the Zika virus epidemic has been causing marked increases in the birth of babies with much too small heads, or so-called “microcephaly”, especially in South and Central America. The
Almost everybody has it: Scientists estimate that approximately 98 percent of adults around the world are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus. In rare cases, an infection with this virus causes
Severe malaria, caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, causes dangerous circulatory disorders and neurological complications. If the affected person is not treated immediately, the disease will
Scientists from the Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have succeeded in elucidating and specifically activating protective mechanisms against malaria
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is an important gut pathogen and the main cause of gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. As yet it was not clear, which mechanisms play a role in these secondary