It was proposed that EBV-infected T-cells activated other cells (educated T cells), which infiltrated into the interstitium and secreted cytokines and promoted tubular epithelial atypia and minimal change disease [ 8].
This notion is supported by previous MHC class I tetramer binding data from others [39] and also fits with the ability of Dd to functionally educate NK cell subsets expressing either one of these three receptors in isolation [40].
Thus, as resting NK cells from TAP-deficient patients express such receptors but have no cytotoxic activity, one might postulate another "licensing mechanism" that would be deficient in these patients, or alternatively that HLA class I levels on surrounding cells would simply be too low to correctly educate NK cells.
Different MHC class I alleles educate NK cells in a quantitatively different manner, i.e. they have different educating impact on NK cells [15], [16].
From a therapeutic prospective, this plasticity can be used to educate immune cells to become tumor-suppressing, which is a more advantageous strategy than simply eradicating immune stroma cells, as was suggested earlier [ 5].
Indeed, migration of MSCs to target tissues and secondary lymphoid organs where they are able to educate immune cells is likely to be required for efficient therapy.
More likely, UC-MSCs could "educate" other cells to inhibit the pathogenic immune reaction.
During the development and progression of cancer, the cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment is influenced by the activity of the tumor cell which recruit and educate host stromal cells into tumor supportive cells that actively participate in tumor progression.
Thus, the tumor microenvironment is composed not only by tumor cells, but also by stromal and inflammatory cells that are recruited and/or locally induced to proliferate or differentiate by tumor cells or by normal cells "educated" by tumor cells.
It has created a virus that can alter the genetic make-up of dendritic cells, the immunological sergeant-majors responsible for educating T-cells about new threats.
