Self/non-self discrimination and the problem of keeping T cells alive

Abstract

Burnet appreciated the requirement for self/non-self discrimination and presciently postulated elimination of auto-aggressive cells during early life. He could not have known that, for T cells, a limited degree of autoreactivity is beneficial for the immune system. Here, we review evidence that recognition of self-components keeps T cells alive and regulates self-tolerance. © 2008 Australasian Society for Immunology Inc. All rights reserved.