Epitope dominance, competition and T cell affinity maturation

Competition for limited resources is a common theme throughout nature, and immunology is no exception. Competition between T cells has been observed in one form or another for a number of decades. Recent advances have allowed the detection of multiple populations of T cells specific for either the same or disparate antigens during a response to a common stimuli. The interplay of these populations of cells dictates both the quality and quantity of the overall T cell response in the host.