At least some long-term in vitro-cultured cytotoxic T cell clones and uncloned cell populations are able, in the presence of Con A, to lyse other cells, to be lysed by other cells, but not to lyse themselves. This as-yet-unexplained result may have implications as to the mechanism of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
Gene expression changes in long-term culture of T-cell clones: genomic effects of chronic antigenic stress in aging and immunosenescence