The lack of thymic IRBP creates autoantibodies (green) against retinal IRBP.
T cells are taught which antigens to ignore as they develop in the thymus. Those whose antigen receptors recognize self-proteins are normally eliminated, preventing them from escaping into the circulation and later attacking self-tissues. The transcription factor Aire (autoimmune regulator) drives the expression of many tissue-specific antigens in the thymus; without Aire, mice develop a panoply of autoimmune diseases. But so far no studies have proven the link between defects in Aire-induced expression of tissue antigens in the thymus and the development of autoimmunity against those tissues.
The team showed that one of the problems that crops up in aire−/− mice—a spontaneous autoimmunity of the eye—is due to a T cell...
