The Immune Response as a Model of (Really?) Random Natural Selection

Authors

  • Amanda de Menezes Mayer Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética – Programa de PósGraduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular – Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil.
  • José Artur Bogo Chies Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética – Programa de PósGraduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular – Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7025-0660

Abstract

The natural selection analogy for the immune response is sophisticated. While the maturation of B lymphocytes resembles “survival of the fittest,” the formation of memory T lymphocytes prioritizes clonal diversity, which is crucial for fighting mutant pathogens. By reducing the TCR signal and the antigen affinity, the development of these memory cells can be accelerated. Thus, the immune strategy for long-term protection is diversity.

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References

1. Neumann J. The immune response as a model of random natural selection, from Charles Darwin to Susumo Tonegawa: a (provocative) text for non-immunologists. Braz J Transplant, 2025; 28(1): e2325. https://doi.org/10.53855/bjt.v28i1.684_ENG

2. Solouki S, Huang W, Elmore J, Limper C, Huang F, August A. TCR signal strength and antigen affinity regulate CD8+ memory T cells. J Immunol, 2020; 205(5):1217-27. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1901167

3. Kavazović I, Han H, Balzaretti G, Slinger E, Lemmermann NAW, ten Brinke A, et al. Eomes broadens the scope of CD8 T-cell memory by inhibiting apoptosis in cells of low affinity. PLoS Biol, 2020; 18(3): e3000648. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000648

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Published

2025-09-29

How to Cite

1.
Mayer A de M, Chies JAB. The Immune Response as a Model of (Really?) Random Natural Selection. bjt [Internet]. 2025 Sep. 29 [cited 2025 Oct. 2];28. Available from: https://bjt.emnuvens.com.br/revista/article/view/729

Issue

Vol. 28 (2025)

Section

Letter to Editor

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Amanda de Menezes Mayer, José Artur Bogo Chies

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.