eLS John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0004027.pub2
Immunological synapses are dynamically organised cell–cell interfaces formed between cells of the
immune system. Different types of immunological synapses lead to distinct functional outcomes.
Thus, T and B lymphocytes form immunological synapses with each other and with dendritic cells
or macrophages, conveying mutual activation cues. Moreover, natural killer cells or cytotoxic
T lymphocytes form synapses with tumour or infected cells delivering cytotoxic granules that
destroy those anomalous cells. Immunological synapses are the result of an orchestrated cell
polarisation process that involves cytoskeleton rearrangements, intracellular vesicle traffic and
the clustering of receptors, adhesion molecules and signalling effectors, which together ensure
the immunological synapse stability, its structure and function. Immunological synapses play key
roles in immune responses, like T- and B-cell activation, and polarised secretion of cytokines or
cytotoxic granules.