In order to initiate a specific immune response to an infectious agent, the immune system must be able to wade through the sea of molecules that are associated with pathogenic invasion and isolate particular protein products that will sharpen the efforts ...of host defense. Implicit to this model of counteraction is the processing of an immunogenic peptide epitope (Antigen Processing) and its presentation on the surface of a team of cells, referred to as APCs (Antigen Presenting Cells) (Antigen Presentation). The result of these actions is the induction of a T-Cell response that recruits and engages the other molecular participants of the immune response. Antigen processing and presentation refer to the processes that occur within a cell that results in fragmentation (proteolysis) of proteins, association of the fragments with MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) molecules, and expression of the peptide-MHC molecules at the cell surface where they can be recognized by the TCR (T-Cell Receptor) on a T-Cell.
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