Induction of peripheral T cell tolerance and allo/xenoimmunity

It is theoretically impossible or at least difficult to tolerize animals in xenogeneic situation, particularly in non-concordant species. Both humoral defense and several cellular components (T and non T) are offensive weapons which can be directed at myriad of self-antigens in a normal situation, at allo-antigens in abnormal situations, at xeno-antigens in exceptional situations. In either cases, the fine epitopic definition of allo/xeno antigens seen by the TCR is far from being totally known. From recent studies showing the precise requirement of peptides assembly composition in the MHC class I and II groove it should be theoretically possible to tolerize any group of peptides if they are presented, some other, because not presented, may remain ignored, thus apparently tolerized. It is also know, that transplantation tolerance is not a law of "either nothing or all" but a multiple process depending of both the affinity of the TCR and the nature/compositions of the target. In view of the complex array of factors influencing the pathway of T cell activation, three forms of T cell non responsiveness may be suggested in the context of xenogeneic recognition: physical deletion of potentially reactive T cells occurring predominantly in the thymus, non reactivity of T cells resulting from their failure to be influenced by antigens, and anergy possibly due to inappropriate signals from non professional antigen presenting cells. Future investigations must elucidate the requirements for inducing these events in a purpose of xenogeneic organ transplantation.