HOMEOSTASIS AND SELF-TOLERANCE IN THE IMMUNE-SYSTEM - TURNING LYMPHOCYTES OFF

The immune system responds in a regulated fashion to microbes and elim inates them, but it does not respond to self-antigens. Several regulat ory mechanisms function to terminate responses to foreign antigens, re turning the immune system to a basal state after the antigen has been cleared, and to maintain unresponsiveness, or tolerance, to self-antig ens. Here, recent advances in understanding of the molecular bases and physiologic roles of the mechanisms of immune homeostasis are examine d.