T cell
noun
: any of several lymphocytes (such as a helper T cell) that differentiate in the thymus, possess highly specific cell-surface antigen receptors, and include some that control the initiation or suppression of cell-mediated and humoral immunity (as by the regulation of T and B cell maturation and proliferation) and others that lyse antigen-bearing cells : t lymphocyte
The immature lymphoid cell, in turn, can be processed into a B cell, which makes infection-fighting antibodies, or a T cell, which recognizes foreign tissue and virally infected cells and directs the activities of the rest of the immune system.—
Gina Kolata
Gina KolataT cells recognize antigen only in association with cell surface molecules encoded by the major histocompatibility complex …—Miranda Robertson
see helper t cell, killer t cell compare b cell
Miranda RobertsonExamples of T cell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccines produce long-lasting T cells in addition to antibodies.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2023
But what if the CAR T cells could be altered to withstand the ovarian tumor environment?
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
The thymus, which produces infection-fighting T cells, reaches its peak size at puberty and then steadily shrinks.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
Many of the current options broadly suppress the immune system, including beneficial T cells that fight infection.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 10 July 2024
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Emily Mullin, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2023
But what if the CAR T cells could be altered to withstand the ovarian tumor environment?
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
The thymus, which produces infection-fighting T cells, reaches its peak size at puberty and then steadily shrinks.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
Many of the current options broadly suppress the immune system, including beneficial T cells that fight infection.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for T cell
Dictionary Entries Near T cell
Cite this Entry
“T cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/T%20cell. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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