Immuno-Genetics & Immune Tolerance
The branch of medical genetics that studies or investigates the relationship between the immune system and genetics is called immunogenetics. Autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes are complex genetic traits resulting from defects in the immune system. Identifying genes that define immune defects identifies new target genes for therapeutic approaches. Genetic mutations also help define immunological pathways that lead to disease.
Immune tolerance can be defined as a state of unresponsiveness of the immune system to substances or tissues that can induce an immune response in a particular organism. Immune tolerance is important for normal physiology. It can be induced by prior exposure to that specific antigen and contrasts with conventional immune-mediated elimination of foreign antigens.
Tolerance is classified according to where the state is initially induced: in the thymus or bone marrow, or in other tissues or lymph nodes.
- Central tolerance: Immune system learns to discriminate self from non-self.
- Peripheral tolerance: Preventing over-reactivity of the immune system to various environmental entities such as allergens, gut microbes, etc.
