Network regulation of autoimmunity: an automation model.
Four classes of regulatory T lymphocytes have been implicated in the control of experimental autoimmune diseases: a pair of helper and suppressor T lymphocytes that recognize the self-antigen (antigen-specific); and a pair of helper and suppressor T lymphocytes that recognize the autoimmune effector lymphocytes (anti-idiotypic). The anti-idiotypic pair of regulators was detected following vaccination against autoimmune disease using autoimmune effector T clones as vaccines. To learn how the anti-idiotypic regulatory lymphocytes might function in concert with the antigen-specific regulatory lymphocytes, we devised a network in which the cell populations could be viewed as interconnected automata. Analysis of this novel network model suggests how self-tolerance may operate, how progressive autoimmune disease may develop, and how T-cell vaccination can control autoimmune disease.
Cohen
I R
IR
Department of Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Atlan
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008954:Models, Biological; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D001324:Autoantigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II