The roles of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway at immunologically privileged sites

The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway plays a vital role in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, promoting the development and function of regulatory T cells, and maintaining the quiescence of autoreactive T cells. Abnormalities in this inhibitory pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of some disorders such as tumours, autoimmune diseases, pregnancy complications, and transplantation rejection. Immune privilege represents a special immunological condition, where foreign antigens can be tolerated and do not elicit an immune response. The anterior chamber of the eye, central nervous system, testis, pregnant uterus, and hair follicles are all regarded as immune-privileged sites in humans. Numerous studies show that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway contributes to the maintenance of the immune-privileged microenvironment. In this review, we will mainly focus on the roles of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in the anterior chamber of the eye, brain and testis, as well as further investigations in testis.