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Description

CD8+ T cells (also known as cytotoxic T cells, cytolytic T cells and killer T cells) belong to a sub-group of T cells capable of inducing the death of infected somatic or tumor cells. T cells that bind weakly to Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) self-antigens are positively selected into single-positive CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in the thymus. Those CD8+ T cells that survive and mature after activation become cytotoxic cells, expressing T-cell receptors (TCRs) capable of recognizing specific antigenic peptides bound to Class I MHC molecules and the glycoprotein CD8. Affinity between the CD8 protein and the MHC molecule helps to keep the cytotoxic T cell and target closely bound during antigen specific activation. Once activated, CD8+ T cells are generally classified as having a predefined cytotoxic role within the immune system and undergo IL-2 induced clonal expansion, which increases the number of cells specific for the target antigen. The CD8+ T cells then travel throughout the body in search of antigen-positive somatic/tumor cells. The Luminex(R) xMAP(R) platform uses a magnetic bead immunoassay format for ideal speed and sensitivity to quantitate multiple analytes simultaneously, dramatically improving productivity while conserving valuable sample volume. Panel Type: Cytokines/Chemokines