Fig. 3: The modular nomenclature in practice.
The figure illustrates how the same T cell (here, a CD4+ T cell persisting after clearance of a parasitic worm infection and committed to T helper 2 (TH2)-associated functions) can be described in practice using the modular nomenclature. Because all of the modular terms are optional, the examples all describe the same T cell but vary in how much information the researcher chose to declare. The simplest description (that is, CD4+ T cell) only indicates the lineage of the T cell. By contrast, the most detailed description (that is, CD4+ TH2DRM0 cell) indicates the lineage (CD4+), function (TH2-biased), migration properties (disseminated and tissue resident), differentiation state (a memory cell), and antigen relevance (cognate antigen is claimed to have either been cleared or not important to the cell) of the T cell.
