Immune therapy for autoimmune diseases.
Our increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmune disease has revealed a number of checkpoints that can be targeted with immune therapy, including key mediators of lymphocyte adhesion and migration, destructive cytokines involved in tissue damage, and the complex of molecules critical in the presentation of self-antigen and the activation of autoaggressive T lymphocytes. In many organ-specific autoimmune diseases, the identity of the molecules attacked by T cells and autoantibodies is known and attempts are under way to tolerize the immune system with a high level of specificity to these targets.
Steinman
Lawrence
L
Department of Neurological Sciences and Neurology, and Interdepartmental Program in Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. steinman@stanford.edu
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017634:Self Tolerance; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing