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Superantigens both aid and hinder the body's immunological defenses against infection by viruses such as the mouse mammary tumor retrovirus (MMTV). Superantigens strengthen the immune response by binding to class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, which in turn produce infection-fighting T cells with particular V-beta chains. However, superantigens also make T cells more vulnerable to infection by MMTV. The dual role of superantigens is prompting microbiologists and immunologists to collaborate in researching them.