Article (Scientific journals)
The thymus in 2013: from a 'vestigial' organ to immunological self-tolerance and autoimmunity
Geenen, Vincent
2014In Proceedings of the Belgian Royal Academies of Medicine, 3, p. 171-193
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Keywords :
Thymus; Self-tolerance; Autoimmunity; Type 1 diabetes; Neuroendocrine self-peptides; Oxytocin; Insulin-like growth factor; Aire
Abstract :
[en] The programming of ‘neuroendocrine self’ occurs in the thymus, a cross-talk organ the emergence of which some 450 millions years ago allowed an integrated and harmonious coevolution between the major systems of cell-to-cell communication, the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Neuroendocrine self-peptides are secreted by thymic epithelial cells not according to the classic model of neurosecretion, but are processed for the presentation by, or in association with, the major histocompatibility complex proteins. The autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene/protein controls the transcription of neuroendocrine genes in thymic epithelial cells. The presentation of self-peptides derived from endogenous proteins in the thymus is responsible for the negative selection of self-reactive T cells and, paradoxically in the same time, for the positive selection of thymo- dependant regulatory T (tTreg) cells that can inhibit, in the periphery, those self-reactive T cells that escaped clonal deletion in the thymus. The development of autoimmunity towards endocrine glands first results from a defect in the intrathymic programming of self-tolerance to neuroendocrine functions. This defect may be genetic or acquired, for example during an enteroviral infection. This novel knowledge of normal and pathological functions of the thymus constitutes a solid basis for the development of a novel type of tolerogenic/negative ‘self-vaccination’ against type 1 diabetes.
Research center :
GIGA-I3 - Giga-Infection, Immunity and Inflammation - ULiège
Disciplines :
Neurology
Immunology & infectious disease
Endocrinology, metabolism & nutrition
Author, co-author :
Geenen, Vincent ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'immunologie
Language :
English
Title :
The thymus in 2013: from a 'vestigial' organ to immunological self-tolerance and autoimmunity
Publication date :
2014
Journal title :
Proceedings of the Belgian Royal Academies of Medicine
ISSN :
2034-7626
Publisher :
Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België, Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique., Bruxelles, Belgium
Volume :
3
Pages :
171-193
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture [BE]
Fonds Léon Fredericq [BE]
ULiège - Université de Liège [BE]
DGTRE - Région wallonne. Direction générale des Technologies, de la Recherche et de l'Énergie [BE]
UE - Union Européenne [BE]
JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation [CA]
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since 13 January 2015

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