Fragile privileges： autoimmunity in brain and eye

• Published in: Acta pharmacologica Sinica Vol. 31; no. 9; pp. 1141 - 1148
• Main Authors: Wekerle, Hartmut, Sun, De-ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Animals; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Autoimmune Diseases - pathology; Autoimmunity - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain - immunology; Brain - pathology; Eye - immunology; Eye - pathology; Humans; Immunology; Internal Medicine; Medical Microbiology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Review; Vaccine; 免疫反应; 炎症反应; 脑组织; 自身免疫性疾病; eye; blood-brain barrier (BBB); autoimmunity; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); autoantigenic strength; experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU); T cells; central nervous system (CNS); immune privilege; anterior chamber; blood-retina barrier (BRB)
• ISSN: 1671-4083; 1745-7254; 1745-7254
• DOI: 10.1038/aps.2010.149

Brain and eye tissues are subject to a reduced version of immune surveillance, which has evolved to protect the particularly sensitive tissues from accidental bystander damage created by regular inflammatory responses. Yet, there are autoimmune diseases in both organs. This review discusses the nature of immune reactivity in the healthy eye and brain tissues, and mechanisms that can overcome the protective barriers to create tissue specific disease.