Mechanisms of self tolerance

The redundancy of biological systems minimizes the probability that isolated molecular and cellular defects entail deleterious consequences. This notion also applies to the establishment and maintenance of tolerance to self antigens. Thus, immune homeostatis is attributed to multiple distinct safety values that are connected in series and intervene at defined control points of the life cycle of the developing lymphocyte to guarantee the physical elimination, functional inactivation, or regulated inhibition of self-reactive, potentially autoaggressive, B and T cells.