Interleukin-2-knockout mice: a new model to study autoimmunity and self-tolerance.
Interleukin-2 deficient mice (IL-2-/-) generated by targeted mutagenesis proved to be an excellent system to study the function of this lymphokine in the context of whole immune system. In addition they provide an animal model of a primary immunodeficiency caused by a single-gene defect. Our results indicate that the essential defect in IL-2-/- mice is the lack of a negative regulatory function which leads to the break down of the self tolerance. The development of autoimmune diseases in IL-2 deficient mice stress the link between autoimmunity and primary immunodeficiencies.
Horák
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Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Federal Republic Germany.
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000172:deficiency*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017634:Self Tolerance
D007376:Interleukin-2