Mechanisms of Immunological Self-Tolerance

This book reviews the multiple mechanisms that are involved in maintaining immunological self-tolerance. It presents an overall organigram of immune homeostasis, revealing the strategema of the immune system to take advantage of several tolerance-inducing mechanisms that are interconnected in series. The molecular mechanisms governing each individual tolerance-inducing event are explored extensively. Topics discussed include: clonal deletion of self-reactive T and B cells, with regard to recent progress in apoptosis regulation; different types of functional activation of lymphocytes dealt with from a molecular point of view; and non-specific immnosuppression by cytokines and hormones, as well as the arguments in favour of a network control of immune function.