Chapter category: Autoimmunity
CTLA-4: Its Role in the Immune Response
CTLA-4 in Autoimmune Disease
Edited by: Flemming PociotISBN: 1-58706-068-X
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «
Chapter authors:
Maria-Luisa Alegre and Thomas F. Gajewski
T lymphocytes are essential for host defense against many viral or parasitic infections, and also contribute to defense against tumors. In addition, T cells mediate rejection of transplanted organs, and, if inappropriately activated to recognize self-antigens, can cause autoimmune diseases. Under normal conditions, the magnitude of a T cell response rises and falls in a predictable fashion and the processes of both activation and quiescence of T lymphocytes are carefully regulated. T cell activation depends on recognition by the T cell receptor (TCR) of specific antigenic peptide in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules expressed by antigen presenting cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells, B cells, or macrophages. Additional signals delivered by costimulatory receptors such as CD28 or tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family members are also required for complete T cell activation and differentiation to occur. Following T cell activation, inhibitory receptors such as CTLA-4 or the more recently described PD-11 become expressed, and can promote the termination of an adaptive immune response. This chapter will focus on the regulation and function of CTLA-4.
Additional chapters from this book:
CTLA-4: Its Role in Transplant Tolerance and Rejection
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Transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage heart, kidney, liver, and pancre atic islet disease. Current strategies require life-long immunosuppression in attempts to inhibit the alloim...
CTLA-4 in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
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The current etiological classification defines type 1 diabetes as a chronic hyperglycemia due to a cellular mediated immune destruction of the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cells. This disease i...
CTLA-4 in Addison’s Disease
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CTLA-4 in Multiple Sclerosis
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The B7:CD28/CTLA-4 pathway has a pivotal role in regulating T cell immune responses and manipulation of this key immunoregulatory pathway may lead to the development of therapeutic interventions to ...
CTLA-4 in Myasthenia Gravis
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Myasthenia gravis (MG) is commonly regarded as the prototype for an organ specific antibody-mediated autoimmune disease. The disease is characterized by an immune response against the nicotinic acet...
CTLA-4 in Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease characterised by symmetric polyarthritis of the small joints of the hands and feet and the larger appendicular joints. The etiol...
CTLA-4 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
David I. Daikh and David Wofsy
The recent characterization of several costimulatory interactions between antigen presenting cells and T cells represents a major advance in our understanding of both normal adaptive immune response...
CTLA-4: Its Role in the Immune Response
Maria-Luisa Alegre and Thomas F. Gajewski
T lymphocytes are essential for host defense against many viral or parasitic infections, and also contribute to defense against tumors. In addition, T cells mediate rejection of transplanted organs,...
Autoimune Disorders—A Common Link?
Flemming Pociot
The immune system has evolved to protect multicellular organisms from pathogens. It is therefore perplexing that this system turns on the individual, in some cases precipitating catastrophic autoimm...
