Selective T-cell deletion

Selective T-cell deletion refers to the physiological removal of self-reactive or undesirable T-cell clones from the immune repertoire. This typically occurs in the thymus (central tolerance) via clonal deletion—where T cells with high-affinity recognition of self-antigens presented by thymic antigen-presenting cells undergo apoptosis—and can also occur in peripheral tissues (peripheral tolerance)[1][3][7]. This process is crucial for preventing autoimmunity and promoting immune homeostasis. While not a therapeutic target itself, the mechanisms underlying selective T-cell deletion are researched for interventions in autoimmunity, transplant tolerance, and immuno-oncology[1][2][5].

Other names

Clonal deletionT-cell clonal deletionNegative selection (T-cell)T-cell deletion

Induction of T-cell apoptosis via high-affinity self-antigen recognition on MHC complexes, leading to clonal deletion[1][3][5][7]