Costimulation and autoimmunity.

Citation:

Tivol EA, Schweitzer AN, Sharpe AH. Costimulation and autoimmunity. Curr Opin Immunol. 1996;8 (6) :822-30.

Date Published:

1996 Dec

Abstract:

The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of the role of the B7-CD28/CTLA-4 pathway in T cell activation and self-tolerance. Recent studies have demonstrated that CTLA-4 is a critical negative regulator of T cell activation and autoreactivity, revealing a previously unsuspected means by which costimulation is involved in the maintenance and breakdown of self-tolerance. Manipulation of this costimulatory pathway in animal models of autoimmunity has shown an important role for this pathway in both the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases.