title: Presentation of neuroendocrine self in the thymus: a necessity for integrated evolution of the immune and neuroendocrine systems.
abstract: During evolution, from ancestor thymoids scattered in gill baskets of the lamprey, the first unique thymus appeared in jawed cartilaginous fishes around 450-500 millions years ago, concomitantly or shortly after the emergence of recombinase-dependent adaptive immunity. The major biological function of the thymus is to generate a diverse repertoire of T cell receptors that are self tolerant. The thymus achieves this role by using two complementary and intimately associated mechanisms: apoptotic deletion of T cell clones bearing a TCR with high affinity for self-antigens presented by MHC proteins on thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and dendritic cells (DCs); and generation of self-antigen-specific natural regulatory T (nT(reg)) cells. Moreover, the escape from thymic central self-tolerance plays a primary role in the development of autoimmune diseases that are a significant burden for the quality of life and health-care cost. Our new knowledge in thymus physiology and physiopathology is currently translated into innovative therapeutic strategies against these devastating chronic diseases.
authors: University of Liege, GIGA-Research Center of Immunoendocrinology, Sart Tilman, Belgium. vgeenen@ulg.ac.be
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Geenen
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D061167:Central Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D017637:Clonal Deletion / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D060168:Thymocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000096927:AIRE Protein
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000096927:AIRE Protein