Costimulation and autoimmunity.
The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of the role of the B7-CD28/CTLA-4 pathway in T cell activation and self-tolerance. Recent studies have demonstrated that CTLA-4 is a critical negative regulator of T cell activation and autoreactivity, revealing a previously unsuspected means by which costimulation is involved in the maintenance and breakdown of self-tolerance. Manipulation of this costimulatory pathway in animal models of autoimmunity has shown an important role for this pathway in both the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases.
Tivol
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Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53201-2178, USA. btivol@smtpgate.bcsew.edu
Schweitzer
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Sharpe
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D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation