Sex differences in CD8+ T cell responses during adaptive immunity

Abstract

AbstractBiological sex is an important variable that influences the immune system's susceptibility to infectious and non‐infectious diseases and their outcomes. Sex dimorphic features in innate and adaptive immune cells and their activities may help to explain sex differences in immune responses. T lymphocytes in the adaptive immune system are essential to providing protection against infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases. In this review, T cell responses are discussed with focus on the current knowledge of biological sex differences in CD8+ T cell mediated adaptive immune responses in infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases. Future directions aimed at investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sex differences in diverse T cell responses will continue to underscore the significance of understanding sex differences in protective immunity at the cellular level, to induce appropriate T cell‐based immune responses in infection, autoimmunity, and cancer.This article is categorized under: Immune System Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology