title: T-cell avidity and tuning: the flexible connection between tolerance and autoimmunity.
abstract: Thymic T-cell selection mechanisms generate a cross-reactive, self-MHC restricted peripheral T-cell pool. Affinity and avidity are of profound influence on this selection and the generation of immunity. Autoreactive T cells can escape thymic deletion by lowering their avidity and retain this "tuned" state in the periphery. Upon activation, tuned T cells can cause autoimmunity, while immunotherapeutic strategies may be hampered by existing T-cell tolerance. The regulation of T-cell avidity and tuning therefore determines the balance between tolerance and autoimmunity and should be taken into account in the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at T-cell reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders and Department of Dermatology, AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.g.vandenboorn@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Jasper G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van den Boorn
authors.forename: I Caroline
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Le Poole
authors.forename: Rosalie M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Luiten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell