The initiation of autoimmune diabetes

✍ Scribed by E Allison Green; Richard A Flavell

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 101 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0952-7915
• DOI: 10.1016/s0952-7915(99)00034-5

✦ Synopsis

It is speculated that presentation of self-peptides to autoreactive T cells normally results in T cell tolerance. In autoimmune conditions, breakdown in the tolerization process results in activation of self-reactive T cells and an immune attack on host tissues. Our understanding of the immune cells and signaling pathways that contribute to this breakdown in T cell tolerization mechanisms is beginning to be deciphered. In particular, the elucidation of the mechanisms that contribute to the release of host antigen, the identification of the antigenpresenting cells that present the host peptides to self-reactive T cells and the role of members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor/ligand families that contribute to inappropriate activation of self-reactive T cells is advancing. The accumulating data from these studies will hopefully provide new ideas for combating autoimmunity.