Lymphocyte recirculation: the need for site-specific receptors to dictate T-lymphocyte localization into different tissue sites

This paper addresses the need for receptors involved in recirculation of T lymphocytes both during development and during an immune response or inflammation. Some known receptors present on T lymphocytes which are important in maintaining normal T-cell localization and function, i.e. the integrins, LECAMs, LPAM-1 and H-CAM (CD44) are considered in terms of the specificity which they confer on lymphocyte recirculation. A clear understanding of lymphocyte trafficking patterns and of the receptors involved may provide, for example, novel therapies for treatment of malignant cancer, alleviation of damage caused by lymphocytes during inflammatory responses, and targeting of cells to sites of infection.