Immune tolerance pathway

Immune tolerance is a fundamental biological process where the immune system remains unresponsive to specific antigens, primarily self-antigens, to prevent autoimmunity (Abbas et al., 2018, Cellular and Molecular Immunology). This pathway is broadly categorized into central tolerance, occurring in primary lymphoid organs during lymphocyte development, and peripheral tolerance, which maintains control in mature tissues through mechanisms like clonal anergy and suppression by regulatory T cells (Sakaguchi et al., 2020, Cell). In oncology, tumors often exploit these pathways—specifically immune checkpoints like PD-1 and CTLA-4—to evade immune detection, making these components high-value therapeutic targets for checkpoint inhibitors (Pardoll, 2012, Nature Reviews Cancer). Conversely, in transplantation and autoimmune diseases, the therapeutic goal is to induce or restore tolerance to prevent graft rejection or host tissue destruction (Waldmann, 2016, Clinical and Experimental Immunology). Because the 'Immune tolerance pathway' represents a complex network of signaling events and diverse cell types rather than a single molecule, it is considered a physiological system or therapeutic area rather than a discrete molecular target.

Other names

Immunological toleranceSelf-tolerancePeripheral toleranceCentral toleranceImmune checkpoint pathway

Modulation of T-cell activation thresholds, inhibition of co-stimulatory signals, enhancement of inhibitory checkpoint signaling, and expansion of regulatory T-cell populations.