Subsets of T cells—called helper or suppressor T cells, depending on their function—are involved in
stimulation or inhibition of antibody production in collaboration with B lymphocytes .
• Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) This is a general name for a group of white blood cells consisting of
neutrophils , basophils and eosinophils.
Neutrophils are the most common immune cells in the body. If you have an infection, their number increases
rapidly. They are the major constituents of pus and are found around most common inflammations. Their job is
to "eat" (ingest) and destroy foreign material.
Basophils and eosinophils are PMNs that contain large granules—storage sacs— inside the cell. They
interact with certain foreign materials. Their increased activity may lead to an allergic reaction.
How the Cells Interact The immune response is a coordinated effort. All these immune cells have to work together, so they have to communicate with each other. They do this by secreting a large number of special protein molecules called cytokines that act on other cells.
There are many different cytokines— interleukins 1 through 12, interferons alpha, beta and gamma, tumor necrosis factors alpha and beta, prostaglandins and colony-stimulating factors, for example. Some immunotherapy strategies involve giving large doses of these proteins, either alone or in combination. This is done in the hope of stimulating the cells of the immune system to act more effectively or of making the tumor cells more recognizable to the immune system.
