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Immune tolerance

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Biology for Non-STEM Majors

Definition

Immune tolerance is the state in which the immune system does not mount an attack against certain antigens, including self-antigens, thus preventing autoimmune reactions. This phenomenon is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring that the immune system can distinguish between harmful invaders and the body's own tissues. Understanding immune tolerance is vital for comprehending how the adaptive immune response operates and how disruptions in this balance can lead to various immune-related disorders.

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5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Immune tolerance can be categorized into central tolerance, which occurs during immune cell development, and peripheral tolerance, which occurs after immune cells are fully matured.
  2. T regulatory cells (Tregs) are essential for establishing and maintaining peripheral immune tolerance by inhibiting the activation of self-reactive T cells.
  3. Disruption of immune tolerance can lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, where the body attacks its own tissues.
  4. Certain therapeutic strategies, such as desensitization in allergy treatments or immunotherapies in cancer treatment, aim to induce or restore immune tolerance.
  5. In addition to protecting against autoimmunity, immune tolerance also plays a role in transplantation medicine by reducing the risk of organ rejection.

Review Questions

  • How does central tolerance differ from peripheral tolerance in the context of immune system regulation?
    • Central tolerance refers to the elimination of self-reactive T cells during their development in the thymus, ensuring that only non-self-reactive cells enter circulation. In contrast, peripheral tolerance occurs after T cells have matured and helps prevent activation of any remaining self-reactive T cells in the body. Both mechanisms are critical for maintaining immune tolerance and preventing autoimmune diseases.
  • Discuss the role of T regulatory cells in maintaining immune tolerance and preventing autoimmunity.
    • T regulatory cells (Tregs) are pivotal in sustaining immune tolerance by actively suppressing self-reactive T cells and preventing them from attacking the body's own tissues. They secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines and can directly inhibit other immune cells, contributing to a balanced immune response. The presence of functional Tregs is crucial; without them, there is a higher risk of developing autoimmune conditions due to unchecked self-reactivity.
  • Evaluate how disruptions in immune tolerance can influence clinical practices, particularly in autoimmunity and transplantation.
    • Disruptions in immune tolerance can significantly affect clinical practices by leading to conditions like autoimmunity, where patients' immune systems target their own tissues, necessitating treatments aimed at restoring balance. In transplantation medicine, understanding how to induce immune tolerance can be crucial for minimizing organ rejection and improving transplant success rates. Consequently, both fields require a nuanced approach to manipulate or restore immune tolerance, whether through medications that enhance Treg function or therapies that desensitize the immune response.
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