Immune tolerance pathways

Immune tolerance pathways represent the complex network of biological mechanisms that prevent the immune system from mounting an inflammatory response against self-antigens or harmless environmental antigens [1]. These pathways include central tolerance, occurring in the thymus and bone marrow, and peripheral tolerance, which involves regulatory T cells (Tregs), inhibitory receptors like CTLA-4 and PD-1, and immunosuppressive cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-beta [2][3]. In autoimmune diseases, these pathways are often defective, leading to tissue damage, whereas in cancer, tumors exploit these pathways to evade immune detection [4]. Therapeutic strategies aim to either restore tolerance in the context of autoimmunity and transplantation or break it to enhance anti-tumor immunity [5]. Consequently, these pathways are central to the development of both immunosuppressive drugs and modern cancer immunotherapies. (Sources: [1] Abbas AK, et al. Cellular and Molecular Immunology; [2] StatPearls, Immune Tolerance; [3] Nature Reviews Immunology, Mechanisms of immune tolerance; [4] JCI, Immune checkpoint blockade; [5] NIH Immune Tolerance Network).

Other names

Immunological toleranceImmune homeostasisSelf-tolerancePeripheral toleranceCentral tolerance

Modulation of T-cell activation, induction of regulatory T cells, and inhibition of co-stimulatory or checkpoint molecules to restore or disrupt immune unresponsiveness.