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MHC

American  
  1. major histocompatibility complex: (in mammals) a group of genes located next to or near each other on a specific chromosome, the sixth in humans, most of which encode glycoproteins of highly variable shapes that are expressed on almost all cell surfaces: it plays the dominant role in distinguishing one individual's cells from another's and in determining the histocompatibility of any two individuals.


MHC British  

abbreviation

  1. major histocompatibility complex; a series of genes located on chromosome 6 that code for antigens. They are important in determining histocompatibility

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

The results indicate that lowering MHC I expression can increase the ability of CD4+ T cells to destroy target cells, whether those cells are cancerous or allogeneic.

From Science Daily Jun. 4, 2026

The researchers identified a previously unrecognized role for the MHC class I pathway in immune responses driven by CD4+ T cells, challenging the traditional view that these pathways operate separately.

From Science Daily Jun. 4, 2026

Using advanced transcriptomic analyses and functional studies in both mouse models and human samples, the researchers examined what happens when cancer cells lose MHC I expression.

From Science Daily Jun. 4, 2026

MHC molecules reside on cell membranes and contain a variable region.

From Textbooks Jan. 1, 2015

These proteins combine with MHC class I molecules that move to the outer cell membrane for display.

From Textbooks Jan. 1, 2015

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