The Nobel Prize honours the discovery of the natural barrier against autoimmunity – a breakthrough in tolerance reconstitution: how far are we from clinical impact?
Abstract
Since the early days of immunology, scientists have dreamed of treating autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases by rebalancing the immune system back to a physiological state. Thirty years after their initial discovery, it has now become a doctrine that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are indispensable constituents for the maintenance of peripheral self-tolerance and immune homeostasis by controlling and suppressing autoimmunity and harmful immune responses. Characterised by the expression of the lineage-specific transcriptional repressor forkhead-box-protein P3 (FoxP3), Tregs keep the organism in a self-tolerant and balanced state despite the presence of autoreactive immune cells.
Fields of Study & Subjects
T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
Reproductive System and Pregnancy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- EULAR Rheumatology Open
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 323–325
- Publication date
- 1 March 2026
- Language
- EN