Mechanisms maintaining peripheral tolerance

DL Mueller - Nature immunology, 2010 - nature.com
Nature immunology, 2010nature.com
The presentation of self-peptide–MHC complexes in the periphery to potentially autoreactive
T cells that have escaped negative selection in the thymus poses an important problem to
the immune system. In this review, I discuss data that reveal barriers preventing peripheral T
cell recognition of self-peptide–MHC complexes, as well as the physiological mechanisms
that ensure the elimination or functional inactivation (anergy) of T cells that do come to
recognize self-peptide–MHC and threaten the health of the individual.
Abstract
The presentation of self-peptide–MHC complexes in the periphery to potentially autoreactive T cells that have escaped negative selection in the thymus poses an important problem to the immune system. In this review, I discuss data that reveal barriers preventing peripheral T cell recognition of self-peptide–MHC complexes, as well as the physiological mechanisms that ensure the elimination or functional inactivation (anergy) of T cells that do come to recognize self-peptide–MHC and threaten the health of the individual.
nature.com