title: TIM family of genes in immunity and tolerance.
abstract: T cells on activation differentiate into different subsets (Th1 or Th2) with distinct effector functions. These T cell subsets are primarily differentiated on the basis of the cytokines that they produce, however, we have identified a novel gene family called TIM (T cell, immunoglobulin, mucin domain-containing molecules), whose members are differentially expressed on Th1 and Th2 cells. Three of the family members (Tim-1, Tim-3, and Tim-4) are conserved between mouse and man. Genomic association of the TIM family and polymorphisms in both Tim-1 and Tim-3 in different immune-mediated diseases suggest that the family may have an important role in regulating immunity, both in terms of normal immune responses and in diseases like autoimmunity and asthma.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kuchroo
authors.forename: Jennifer Hartt
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Dale T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Umetsu
authors.forename: Rosemarie H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: DeKruyff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins