Figure 5

T cell activation and tolerance by tumour cells/antigen presenting cells. Inhibitory or stimulatory molecules expressed on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APC) or tumour cells regulate T cell function. Moreover, stimulatory or inhibitory cytokines may drive the generation of different T cell populations (e.g. Th1, Th17, Treg etc.) with diverse functional properties. Signal one is provided to the T cell receptor of T cells by presentation of antigens via MHC class I or II molecules expressed by APCs or tumour cells, while the signal 2 is provided by co-stimulatory molecules such as B7 family. Co-stimulatory signals induce the generation of effector T cells, which can recognize and lyse target cells or produce cytokines such as IFN-γ, involved in the control of tumour growth. In contrast, inhibitory molecules deliver negative signals and suppressing the effector T cell function, and induce T cell anergy or exhaustion.