Multiple autoantigens presented by antigen-presenting cells

Multiple autoantigens presented by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) do not constitute a single molecular target but rather a broad therapeutic category involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In these conditions, the immune system loses self-tolerance, leading APCs—such as dendritic cells and B cells—to process and present self-derived proteins (autoantigens) via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules to autoreactive T cells (1). This presentation, when accompanied by costimulatory signals, triggers an inflammatory cascade and tissue destruction (2). Therapeutic strategies, often termed antigen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), aim to deliver these autoantigens in a tolerogenic manner to re-educate the immune system (3). By presenting these antigens without costimulation or in the presence of inhibitory signals, these therapies seek to induce regulatory T cells (Tregs) or promote the exhaustion of pathogenic effector T cells (4). Examples of relevant autoantigens include insulin and GAD65 in Type 1 Diabetes, and myelin basic protein (MBP) in Multiple Sclerosis (5). Because this 'target' encompasses a heterogeneous group of proteins that vary significantly between diseases and individual patients, it is classified as a complex biological process rather than a discrete receptor or enzyme (6).

Other names

Self-antigensAutoantigensMHC-peptide complexesEndogenous antigensTolerogenic antigens

Induction of antigen-specific immune tolerance through the presentation of autoantigens in a non-inflammatory or tolerogenic context, leading to the expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs), induction of T-cell anergy, or deletion of autoreactive effector T cells.