title: Endogenous TLR ligands and autoimmunity.
abstract: Based on an evolutionary conserved repertoire Toll-like-receptors (TLRs) donate specificity to innate immune cells. Therefore, TLRs are considered as paradigmatic for "self" versus "non-self" discrimination. This view, however, needs to be modified since TLR's also appear to recognise "endogeneous", that is host-derived ligands, examples being host-derived DNA and -RNA. Here I discuss physiological and pathophysiological consequences of endogeneous ligand-recognition by TLRs. I conclude that endogeneous ligand recognition by TLRs drives sterile inflammation sustained by innate immune cells in certain autoimmune disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, 81675 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D008024:Ligands; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors