Effector cell

In cell biology, an effector cell is any of various types of cell that actively responds to a stimulus and effects some change (brings it about).

Examples of effector cells include:

The muscle, gland or organ cell capable of responding to a stimulus at the terminal end of an efferent nerve fiber
Plasma cell, an effector B cell in the immune system
Effector T cells, T cells that actively respond to a stimulus
Cytokine-induced killer cells, strongly productive cytotoxic effector cells that are capable of lysing tumor cells^[1]
Microglia, a glial effector cell that reconstructs the Central nervous system after a bone marrow transplant^[2]
Fibroblast, a cell that is most commonly found within connective tissue^[3]
Mast cell, the primary effector cell involved in the development of asthma^[4]

^ IG, Schmidt-Wolf; P, Lefterova; BA, Mehta; LP, Fernandez; D, Huhn; KG, Blume; IL, Weissman; RS, Negrin (1993-12-01). "Phenotypic characterization and identification of effector cells involved in tumor cell recognition of cytokine-induced killer cells". Experimental Hematology. 21 (13): 1673–9. ISSN 0301-472X. PMID 7694868.
^ Krivit, W (July 1995). "Microglia: The effector cell for reconstitution of the central nervous system following bone marrow transplantation for lysosomal and peroxisomal storage diseases". Cell Transplantation. 4 (4): 385–392. doi:10.1016/0963-6897(95)00021-O. PMID 7582569.
^ Lorenz, H. Peter; Lin, Richard Y.; Longaker, Michael T.; Whitby, David J.; Adzick, N. Scott (November 1995). "The fetal fibroblast: the effector cell of scarless fetal skin repair". Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 96 (6): 1251–9, discussion 1260–1. doi:10.1097/00006534-199511000-00001. PMID 7480221. S2CID 38388476.
^ Holgate, S (February 1986). "The mast cell as a primary effector cell in the pathegenesis of asthma". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 77 (2): 274–282. doi:10.1016/S0091-6749(86)80104-X. PMID 2418090.