Auto-reactive lymphocyte

Auto-reactive lymphocytes are immune cells, specifically T and B cells, that have bypassed the body's natural tolerance mechanisms and mistakenly target self-antigens, leading to tissue damage and chronic inflammation (Nature Reviews Immunology, 2020). In a healthy immune system, these cells are typically eliminated in the thymus or bone marrow (central tolerance) or silenced in the periphery (peripheral tolerance); however, their persistence is the primary driver of autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis (NIH, 2023). Therapeutic intervention focuses on neutralizing these cells through various modalities, including monoclonal antibodies that deplete specific subsets (e.g., Rituximab for B cells) or interfere with their activation (e.g., Teplizumab for T cells) (FDA, 2022). Emerging therapies like Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells and Chimeric Autoantibody Receptor (CAAR) T-cells aim to provide more precise targeting by eliminating only the specific clones responsible for disease (Science Translational Medicine, 2019). The primary challenge in targeting auto-reactive cells is achieving sufficient specificity to halt autoimmunity without compromising the patient's overall ability to fight infections (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

Auto-reactive cellSelf-reactive lymphocytePathogenic auto-reactive T cellAuto-reactive B cellAuto-aggressive lymphocyte

Therapeutic strategies involve the selective depletion of pathogenic cell populations, blockade of costimulatory pathways to induce anergy, or the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells to eliminate specific auto-reactive clones.