Antigen presentation is the immunological process by which cells display fragments of foreign or self proteins on surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules for surveillance by T lymphocytes, initiating and shaping adaptive immune responses. Endogenous peptides, including those from intracellular patho…
Antigen presentation is the immunological process by which cells display fragments of foreign or self proteins on surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules for surveillance by T lymphocytes, initiating and shaping adaptive immune responses. Endogenous peptides, including those from intracellular pathogens and tumors, are loaded onto MHC class I for recognition by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, whereas exogenous antigens internalized by professional antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells are processed and presented on MHC class II to CD4+ helper T cells. Effective priming also depends on co-stimulatory signals and the cytokine milieu, linking presentation to downstream effector differentiation and antibody production. This mechanism is foundational to vaccinology: adjuvant and nanoparticle delivery systems are engineered to enhance uptake, processing, and presentation of antigens, as in particulate formulations developed for tuberculosis vaccination, while interferon-gamma and related immune modulators influence MHC expression and presentation efficiency relevant to antiviral defense. Dysregulated or aberrant presentation contributes to autoimmunity, where loss of tolerance and inflammatory drivers interact with genetic and environmental factors, and shapes tumor immunosurveillance reflected in inflammatory infiltrates within neoplastic tissue. Investigations of cytokine balance during viral exposure, vitamin D status in immune-mediated mucosal disease, and pathway-level analyses of neurodegeneration further illustrate how antigen presentation connects innate sensing to targeted adaptive immunity, immune evasion, and the design of immunotherapeutics.
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The 7 articles above have been cited 56 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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