Apoptosis in cytotoxic T lymphocytes and their targets.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been useful not only in understanding immune responses but also in providing valuable insights into the biology and mechanism of apoptosis. In this article two examples of apoptosis directly related to cytotoxic T lymphocyte biology are discussed. These are apoptosis of activated cytotoxic T cells as a result of antigen clearance and subsequent growth factor deprivation and apoptosis of target cells following interaction with cytotoxic T lymphocytes.