Litcius/Paper detail

Autoimmunity: Are we asking the right question?

Polly Matzinger

2022Frontiers in Immunology15 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

For decades, the main question immunologists have asked about autoimmunity is "what causes a break in self-tolerance?" We have not found good answers to that question, and I believe we are still so ignorant because it's the wrong question. Rather than a break in self-tolerance, I suggest that many autoimmune diseases might be due to defects in normal tissue physiology.

Topics & Concepts

AutoimmunitySelf ToleranceImmunologyMedicinePsychologyEpistemologyCognitive sciencePhilosophyImmune systemDiabetes and associated disordersT-cell and B-cell ImmunologyCeliac Disease Research and Management