Signaling Mechanisms Regulating T Cell Diversity and Function

T cells play a vital role mediating adaptive immunity, a specific acquired resistance to an infectious agent produced by the introduction of an antigen. There are a variety of T cell types with different functions. They are called T cells, because they are derived from the thymus gland. This volume discusses how T cells are regulated through the operation of signaling mechanisms. Topics covered include positive and negative selection, early events in T cell receptor engagement, and various T cell subsets.

Jonathan Soboloff is a Professor in the Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his BS from University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada, in 1992, and his PhD from the University of Ottawa in 1998. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Departments of Immunology (1998 to 2002) and Pathobiology & Laboratory Medicine (2002 to 2004) at the University of Toronto and a Research Associate in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Maryland 2004 to 2007. In 2007, he became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Temple University. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2013. In 2015, he transferred his primary affiliation to his current position at the Fels Institute. Finally, in 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Full Professor with Tenure. Dr. Soboloff’s research interests focus primarily on understanding STIM-mediated Ca²⁺ signaling, particularly in the context of T cell development and activation. Dr. Soboloff’s contributions include many fundamental insights into the roles of STIM and Orai in store-operated Ca²⁺ signaling and defining alternative roles for STIM1 particularly in the context of T cell activation. Understanding how Ca²⁺ signals are translated into physiological and pathophysiological responses is a special interest of the lab which has also led to contributions in the areas of melanoma and bone physiology. Dr. Soboloff has completed over 60 publications and is an editorial board member of The Journal of Cellular Physiology, Cell Calcium and Clinical Sciences.

Dietmar Kappes, Ph.D, is a professor and director of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.