Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

470
An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and...
470
Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

771
The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
771
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

686
T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
686
Antigen Presenting Cells01:22

Antigen Presenting Cells

1.7K
The immune system is a complex network of cells and molecules that protects the body from foreign invaders. T cells, a type of white blood cell, play a crucial role in this process. They recognize and attack foreign substances, such as pathogens, that enter the body.
T cells require the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which process foreign antigens into smaller fragments that can be recognized by T cells. These APCs are highly specialized cells that efficiently internalize antigens...
1.7K
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

1.6K
The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
1.6K
Antigen Processing Pathways01:31

Antigen Processing Pathways

956
MHC molecules are key players in the immune response, enabling T cells to recognize and respond to specific antigens. They are present on the surface of all nucleated cells in the body and are instrumental in presenting antigens to T cells and activating them. T cells recognize the MHC-antigen complex and initiate an immune response. MHC class I and MHC class II are two main types of MHC molecules, each associated with a distinct antigen processing pathway.
MHC Class I: Presenting Endogenous...
956

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Calibrating T cell responsiveness through interactions with self.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same author

Cathepsin L-dependent positive selection shapes clonal composition and functional fitness of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells.

Nature immunology·2025
Same author

RORγt-expressing dendritic cells are functionally versatile and evolutionarily conserved antigen-presenting cells.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Histone methyltransferase SETDB1 safeguards mouse fetal hematopoiesis by suppressing activation of cryptic enhancers.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024
Same author

B cells orchestrate tolerance to the neuromyelitis optica autoantigen AQP4.

Nature·2024
Same author

LAMP2 regulates autophagy in the thymic epithelium and thymic stroma-dependent CD4 T cell development.

Autophagy·2022
Same journal

A guide to CAR T cell therapies: development, current status and future prospects.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Macrophages in embryonic development.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Glycolytic capacity instructs tumour vasculature and response to immunotherapy.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Vaginal NK cells limit epithelial barrier disruption during infection.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

New insights into progenitor exhausted T cell populations.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

T cell engagers in autoimmune diseases.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation
12:48

Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation

Published on: August 21, 2017

8.2K

Antigen presentation for central tolerance induction.

Ludger Klein1, Elisabetta Petrozziello2

  • 1Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany. ludger.klein@med.lmu.de.

Nature Reviews. Immunology
|September 18, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Central T cell tolerance relies on thymic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) presenting diverse self-antigens. Recent findings highlight adaptations in thymic cells that enhance self-antigen presentation for effective tolerance induction.

More Related Videos

HLA-Ig Based Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for Efficient ex vivo Expansion of Human CTL
07:18

HLA-Ig Based Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for Efficient ex vivo Expansion of Human CTL

Published on: April 11, 2011

15.4K
A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes
11:34

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: April 11, 2025

193

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation
12:48

Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation

Published on: August 21, 2017

8.2K
HLA-Ig Based Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for Efficient ex vivo Expansion of Human CTL
07:18

HLA-Ig Based Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for Efficient ex vivo Expansion of Human CTL

Published on: April 11, 2011

15.4K
A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes
11:34

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: April 11, 2025

193

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • T Cell Biology

Background:

  • Central T cell tolerance is crucial for preventing autoimmunity.
  • The diversity of self-antigens encountered by developing T cells in the thymus dictates tolerance levels.
  • Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) within the thymus play a key role in this process.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review functional adaptations of thymic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) over the past decade.
  • To understand how these adaptations contribute to central T cell tolerance induction.
  • To explore the role of thymic microenvironment and self-antigen presentation in defining the 'self'.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature focusing on thymic stromal cells and APCs.
  • Analysis of cellular characteristics and functional mechanisms involved in antigen presentation.
  • Examination of the thymic microenvironment's influence on self-antigen visibility.

Main Results:

  • Medullary thymic epithelial cells, thymic dendritic cells, and thymic B cells exhibit specialized adaptations for tolerance.
  • These adaptations include promiscuous gene expression, mimicry of peripheral cell types, and strategic localization.
  • Access to endogenous and exogenous antigen pools varies among these APCs.
  • 'Tonic' inflammatory signals can broaden the scope of self-antigens presented, including those from immunogenic peripheral environments.

Conclusions:

  • Functional adaptations of thymic APCs significantly enhance the diversity of self-antigens presented to developing T cells.
  • These adaptations are critical for establishing robust central T cell tolerance.
  • The thymic microenvironment, including inflammatory signals, actively shapes the repertoire of recognized 'self' antigens.