title: Re-examining the Nature and Function of Self-Reactive T cells.
abstract: Recent studies have leveraged MHC tetramer and TCR sequencing approaches towards a more precise characterization of the peripheral T cell repertoire, providing important insight into both the contribution of self-reactive T cells to the overall repertoire and their function. The peripheral T cell repertoire of healthy individuals contains a high frequency of diverse, self-reactive T cells. Furthermore, self-reactive T cells can perform essential beneficial physiological functions. We review these recent findings here, and discuss their implications to the current understanding of peripheral tolerance and the role of self-reactive T cells in autoimmune disease. We outline gaps in understanding, and argue that an important step forward is to revise the definition of self-reactive T cells to incorporate new concepts regarding the nature and physiological functions of different populations of T cells capable of recognizing self-antigens.
authors.affiliation: Immune Tolerance, Tumor Immunology Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Current address: Immunology Department, Apogenix GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Developmental Immunology, Tumor Immunology Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kyewski
authors.affiliation: Immune Tolerance, Tumor Immunology Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: m.feuerer@dkfz-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feuerer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D061166:Peripheral Tolerance; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell