Antigen-specific autoreactive T lymphocyte (None commonly used; "autoreactive T cell" is frequent but not an official abbreviation)

Antigen-specific autoreactive T lymphocytes are a subset of T cells whose T cell receptors recognize and respond to host (“self”) antigens, violating immune tolerance and driving autoimmune disease. Normally, T cells undergo negative selection in the thymus to eliminate self-reactive clones, but some escape this process. Upon encountering their cognate self-antigen in peripheral tissues—often facilitated by local inflammation or genetic predisposition—these autoreactive T cells become activated, proliferate, and mediate tissue injury through cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, and recruitment of other immune effectors. Both CD4+ (helper) and CD8+ (cytotoxic) T cell subsets can be autoreactive, contributing to diverse autoimmune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. Therapeutic strategies aim to identify and selectively target these cells to reduce autoimmunity without compromising immune defense against pathogens and cancer.

Other names

Autoreactive T cellPathogenic autoreactive T cellSelf-antigen-specific T cellSelf-reactive T lymphocyte

Drugs targeting antigen-specific autoreactive T lymphocytes primarily act by inhibition or modulation of T cell activation and proliferation, promotion of T cell anergy or apoptosis, induction of immune tolerance via regulatory T cells, or depletion of autoreactive T cells by cytotoxic mechanisms.