Relevance of autocytotoxic and autoregulatory lymphocytes in the maintenance of self tolerance.

The state of self tolerance may well be an amalgam of many processes including (but not necessarily limited to) clonal deletion and specific suppressor cell networks. Cells with autoaggressive potential are clearly present in the blood of healthy individuals and have been implicated in diseases states. Given the critical importance of maintaining self tolerance, it is not at all surprising that several mechanisms appear to play a role in this process. Attempts to harness and manipulate these various mechanisms in order to prevent allograft rejection or to treat autoimmune diseases should prove to be exciting areas of investigation in the years ahead.