Elimination of autoreactive lymphocyte

The term "Autoreactive lymphocyte elimination" refers to a biological process rather than a specific molecule, receptor, or drug target. It encompasses various mechanisms by which the immune system deletes or inactivates lymphocytes (T cells and B cells) that are reactive against the body’s own tissues, primarily through induced apoptosis during both central tolerance (in the thymus and bone marrow) and peripheral tolerance (in secondary lymphoid organs)[1][3][5][8]. Key molecular players include proapoptotic proteins (such as Bim), cell surface molecules (such as Fas/CD95), and transcription factors (like Nur77)[1][6][8]. These mechanisms prevent autoimmunity, but failures in this system can lead to autoimmune diseases. Since this entry describes a fundamental immune tolerance *process* and not an individual molecular entity, it is not a canonical therapeutic target and should be classified as "incorrect" for the purposes of structured molecule/receptor target databases.

Other names

Autoreactive lymphocyte deletionNegative selection of autoreactive lymphocytesCentral toleranceClonal deletion of autoreactive lymphocytes